


Ouran High School Host Club: A Lyrical Beauty

by Hiruka18



Category: Ouran High School Host Club - All Media Types
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-06-26
Updated: 2015-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-16 05:06:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 24
Words: 123,631
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/858135
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hiruka18/pseuds/Hiruka18
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hikari is restricted from pursuing her passion in writing. Her parents believe writing to be a waste of time and she is forced to lock her imagination away.  Nevertheless, a necklace around her neck constantly reminds her of a wish she must fulfill. After testing out the Host Club, Hikari realizes it's not only her creativity that's being locked away, but herself as well. She has become an emotionless being. Will she let the Host Club bring her character forth, or is that something she'll have to do on her own? (Inspired by the Anime series)</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Welcome to the Host Club...Sir.

_She ran through the rain. Her backpack bouncing on her back. Sweat forming behind her neck. The cold rain washed it down her soaking wet shirt. Why was she running?_

“Hikari-sama, the car is ready.”

“I’ll be right down.”

 _She was running away from the mansion of nightmares_.

Chapter 1: Welcome to the Host Club…Sir.

Slamming her notebook shut, Hikari let out a sigh. _Well_ , she thought to herself, _here I go…again. Wish me luck, mom and dad_. She put her notebook in her school bag and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the mirror: A yellow dress with puffy, long sleeves. A red ribbon tied her white blouse together and rested around her lower neck. Hikari faced herself and looked at her white stockings making a face. _I look like a little girl_ , she thought, sticking out her tongue to complete the look. She pulled out another red ribbon from her bag and put it in her hair. A giggle escaped through her lips.

“Now I look like mom when she was my age.” Someone began knocking on her door, surprising Hikari. She quickly took a breath and composed herself. It’s moments like these where she feels she must change her own character. She cleared her throat before answering,

“Yes, I’m coming down.”

“Hikari-sama?” asked a young voice. Hikari opened the door and saw a young ladycurtsying before her. Her persona briefly returned as she flashed her a smile and took out a book from her bag.

“Here you go,” she said, “I think you’ll like this story. It was one of dad’s favorite.” The maid took the book and winked at her. Hikari felt her heart flutter a bit. Having people read her dad’s plays always made her happy.

“Hikari.” Hikari turned around a saw a tall woman with black hair staring down at her. Her hair was up in a bun with a pair of chopsticks stabbing it and was wearing a proper lady suit the color of her hair. “I expect you to do well today. First impressions are everything.”

“Yes ma’am,” Hikari responded, straightening herself while trying to calm herself down.

“You’re not wearing your hair like that. Put it up this instant,” she demanded while walking away. Hikari took out her hair tie and put her long, brown hair into a high pony-tail. Her red ribbon still in place on her head.

As she walked to the car, she saw a man in a black business suit standing in front of the door. His arms were behind his back and a stern look in his eyes.

“Hikari,” he said, “We’re expecting the best. No excuses.” Before she could answer, he walked away.

“Yes sir,” she mumbled. Hikari quietly opened the door. Waiting for her was a black car with tinted windows. Her personal ride to school. When she got into the car, she let out a sigh of relief. She looked to her right and saw coffee and a blueberry muffin on the car table. A smile grew returned as the driver got in and started to drive. Once they were outside the gate, the driver looked in the rear-view mirror.

“You nervous?” said a beautiful voice.

“Defiantly,” Hikari replied. She took down her hair while her driver took off her hat. “Thanks for the breakfast, Natasha.” Natasha took down her long, blond hair from her bun.

“It’s your first day of school. Your parents would want you to be at your best.” Hikari played around with a necklace that rested on her neck. She traced over the lining of a butterfly.

“Yea,” she said, “Mom and dad wanted me to soar through the world spreading my words to everyone.” Natasha laughed.

“They’re watching you, kid,” she said, “They always are.” Hikari stared out the window.

“So?” Natasha asked after a moment of silence. “Have you looked at your activity lists yet?” Hikari shook her head. Natasha took out an ivory colored folder with the words “Ouran High School” written in gold. She passed it to Hikari. “There’re a lot of clubs to join, but I think the most interesting one is the Host Club.”

“Host Club?” Hikari repeated.

“That’s right. It’s supposed to be filled with hot hot hot men!” She smiled her giddy smile and looked in the rear-view mirror again. “They might make you feel more relaxed at school.”

“Yeah, being paraded by guys who pamper you in order to get your money. No thank you,” Hikari paused for a moment before adding, “But I’ll go and give it a try…since you gave me breakfast.” With that, she bit into her muffin. 

****

Hikari’s first day was the same as any other first day. Orientation for the new students, social events to have them mingle, classes; she finished her morning homework from sheer boredom by lunch time. After finishing her lunch, she used her free time to wander around the school. With each step, her expectations lessened. _Every school has to have something different. It’s what separates them from any other academy._ She took out the club lists.

“You can find these clubs in every school across Japan,” she muttered with a displeased look on her face. Her eyes scanned down the list and noticed a club that was highlighted in bright yellow. “The Host Club?” Hikari heard Natasha’s voice reminding her to visit it. _I guess I’ll check it out. I hope they don’t do Champagne Calls. Those can get out of hand_.

After classes had ended, Hikari headed for the club. She walked up to a room that was labeled “The Third Music Room” and without hesitation opened the door. A smell of fresh roses crept into her nose as petals fell around her. Seven boys in their Ouran uniform were standing before her. Two of them were sitting on the couch with their backs to each other while the other five stood behind them.

“Welcome,” they said in unison. Hikari couldn’t speak. Her eyes absorbed their beauty as her voice remained locked in her throat.

“My my,” said a tall blond boy, “what have we caught today?” He came closer to her. “A little lamb walked into a forest of hungry wolves.” He placed his index finger under her chin and lifted her head. “Be careful,” he whispered. Hikari began to feel uncomfortable as she looked into his dark blue eyes…so dark, they seemed almost purple. She removed his hand and walked into the room. This was why she hated Host Clubs.

“So this is the Ouran High School Host Club,” She said at them, ignoring the blond guy behind her. A boy with a girlish face let out a sigh.

“Senpai is sulking in the corner again.” Hikari was taken back. _He sounds a lot like a girl_. A gentleman took out a notebook and started to write.

“Just leave him, Haruhi,” he said, “Tamaki isn’t used to being rejected.” He adjusted his glasses.

“Tama-chan is upset again,” commented a little boy, holding a holding a pink bunny. A much bigger fellow came up from behind him and nodded in agreement. His face was expressionless, but his eyes told Hikari more.

“Tono,” began the boy on the left side of the couch, “hates it when-”

“-a lovely princess dismisses his charms.” Finished the one on the right. Hikari noticed that they were twins identical in every way, as if born to mirror each other. But it wasn’t their matching faces that caught her attention, it was their eyes. They both had a golden, hazel color, but she couldn’t help thinking that there was something more. _Although they appear similar_ , _they seem different…somehow_.

“Here,” said Haruhi, “I hope you don’t mind instant coffee.” Hikari took it and gave a polite smile. “Thank you,” she said.

“Here, take a seat,” said one of the twins.

“It’s more comfortable than standing around,” said the other. The gentleman with the glasses extended a hand.

“I must agree with them,” he added, guiding Hikari to the couch. Once she sat down and drank her coffee, her eyes widen when the bitter taste touched her tongue. _This tastes like the coffee mom made in the morning_. She briefly closed her eyes. A faded memory of her mom offering her a sip of her black coffee crept into Hikari’s mind.

“Sorry that Tamaki-senpai is a little strange,” Haruhi said. Hikari opened her eyes shook her head.

“It’s quite alright. If that’s who he is, then that’s who he is.”

“Not many people say that about him.”

“OF COURSE,” screamed Tamaki, “That’s just one of my many charms.” He grabbed Hikari’s hand. “I’m glad that I have moved you in some way.” Haruhi slapped his hand away.

“Senpai, please stop doing that. She obviously doesn’t like it.” Tamaki turned gloomy again and sat at his corner. Laughter erupted from behind Hikari, causing her to jump a little.

“Tono doesn’t know how to treat a proper guest,” said one of the twins. He came around and sat on the other side of Hikari, his brother right behind. The one closest to her handed her a red rose.

“Please forgive him for his idiocy,” he added. Hikari just stared at him.

“Please take no offence,” she replied, “But this wasn’t what I had in mind for a Host Club. Usually it’s full of host with set personas in order to please their customers.”

“You are correct,” answered the gentleman with glasses, “and we do have our set personas. However, we’ve adapted the Host Club concept to a more…agreeable with outside authorities. This Host club is simply a place where young girls come to spend their time with young men.”

“How is that different from any other Host Club?” Hikari asked. The gentleman politely bowed.  

“You should join one of our sessions and see for yourself. Allow me to introduce us: I am Ootori Kyouya, the vice president of the Host Club.” Kyouya pointed to Tamaki, who was still sulking in the corner.

“That’s Suou Tamaki, the president of the club.” Tamaki rose from his depression and spun his way to the group.

“That’s correct. Now, princess,” He said as he pulled out a white rose, “What type of gentleman do you prefer? Prince? Wild? Loli-shota? Devil? Cool? Or Natural?” Hikari did not what to say. She wanted to tell these people that they’re crazy, but at the same time her curiosity of them took over.

“Join a session, huh?” She asked. Tamaki perked up.

“The Host Club is open every day after school,” He ran his fingers through his hair. “The ladies should be coming any time now.” Hikari thought about it for a minute before rising from her seat.

“If it’s alright with you, I’d rather observe your work than be a part of it.” The club just stared at her. “A dear friend suggested I visit this club and I would like to give her a detailed report. Since you say you’re different from the average Host club, I’d like to see how.” Hikari knew that her request sounded ridiculous, but she didn’t want to miss the opportunity. Not only could she prove to Natasha that this club was no different from any other club, but that these men were interesting characters themselves. Hikari was determined to learn more about them. What lies behind the mask of a Host? What made them popular? How did they work? These questions made the club appealing even to her. Kyouya gave her a pleasant smile.

“It’s no trouble at all.”

{The Host Club is now open}

Hikari began to walk around the room, noticing that Tamaki was a crowd pleaser. Many of the girls would be moved by the way he just sat there. She jotted down some notes when something jumped on her back.

“Hiri-chan!” screamed a little voice. Hikari looked behind her and saw the little boy propped on her back.

“‘Hiri-chan’?” she repeated. He nodded.

“Hiri-chan. That’s your name, right?”

“Well,” Hikari began, but someone stepped in front of her.

“Mitsukuni,” he said in a monotone voice, “There’s some cake on the table.” The boy immediately jumped off her and walked over to a table full of girls.

“Thank you,” Hikari said to the gentleman. He gave her a small smile and walked away. She continued to write down notes when Kyouya appeared behind her.

“Is everything to your liking?” He asked.

“It is, though I’m having trouble figuring out who everyone else is.” Kyouya chuckled.

“If you don’t know their names,” her said, “then you haven’t observed them well enough.” Hikari glared at him, hating that he challenged her ability to observe. She wondered over to where the little boy ran to.

“Honey-senpai,” said one of the girls, “How’s Tokyo U? It must be strange coming back to your high school after graduating.” Honey swallowed his piece of cake and held his bunny tight.

 “I wanted to still be in the host club until _everyone_ graduates,” He shouted. The girls screamed with joy.

“I think that it’s bold that both of you still wear the uniform,” said another girl, “especially for Mori-senpai.” Honey smiled.

“Takashi wanted to come with me too, so that he wouldn’t be lonely.” The girls buried their faces into their hands and squeed for joy. Hikari’s eyes grew wide.

“H-he’s a university student?” she asked aloud.

“Both of them are, actually,” replied a female voice. “I was surprised that they decided to come back.” Hikari looked and saw Haruhi standing next to her with a tray of coffee.

“You’re…Haruhi-kun…right?” Haruhi smiled.

“That’s right.” Hikari smiled back. _This guy has a lot of girl characteristics about him. Interesting_.

“Is it okay if I follow you? I need to figure out who those twins are.” Haruhi laughed.

“Sure thing, but I don’t think you’d wanna know.” Before Hikari could ask why, she noticed one of the twins pointing to her necklace.

“That’s a cute necklace you’re wearing,” said one of them, “Makes me think how cute you are.”

“Hikaru!” screamed the other one, “I thought _I_ was the cute one.” He looked away shyly with his hand over his mouth. Hikaru looked at him as if surprised.

“Kaoru…” he whispered. The girls gathered close to each other and held their breaths. Hikaru grabbed Kaoru’s face and gently caressed it in his hands; their lips almost touching.

“I’m sorry, Kaoru. I couldn’t resist seeing your stressful face.” He pulled Kaoru closer. “You’re too cute to resist.”

“Hikaru…”The girls began to scream, “AAAHHH!!! Such brotherly love!!!” Hikari gave Haruhi a confusing and doubting look.

“‘Brotherly…love’?” She repeated. Haruhi nodded. “I told you,” he said. Hikari quickly jotted down her ideas. _Homo homo twins…hmm_.

{The Host Club is now closed}

Hikari looked over the notes she had written, twirling her pencil within her fingers. _This is defiantly a fascinating bunch. I’m certainly getting some new character ideas for my story_. She closed her notebook shut. “They said that I shouldn’t join a writing club, but they never said that I couldn’t write.” She mumbled with a giggle.

“What’re you talking about?” said two voices. Hikari looked behind her and saw the twins leaning on either side of her.

“Nothing,” she answered. She felt a small breeze on her left side of her neck, causing her to turn her head. The twin she looked at held her gaze. His eyes looked golden as the setting sun peered through the window. They hypnotized her into forgetting how to breathe.

 _His eyes…_ she said faintly in her mind, _seem strong…and very masculine…just like when-_. Her brain clicked. “…Hikaru…” she whispered. The boy blinked in shock.

“Hikaru, stop bothering on Hikari-san.” Hikari took a breath and blinked her eyes. For a moment, she had completely forgotten where she was.

“I wasn’t bothering her, Kyouya-senpai,” Hikaru replied, “Kaoru and I were just talking to her. That’s all.” Kaoru got up and walked towards Hikaru.

“That’s right,” he said, “We were merely asking her what she was talking about.” A sudden noise filled the empty music room. Hikari scurried through her pockets and pulled out her phone.

“Hello?” she asked.

“Hikari-chan, it’s Natasha. Are you alone?”

“No, I’m with…some club members,” Hikari answered with a strong voice.

“Ah! Got it. Okay. I won’t keep you. I’m outside waiting. Come down whenever you’re ready.” And she hung up. Hikari got up and smiled.

“Excuse me, but I must be going,” she announced. With that, she was about to leave when she remembered something.

“Does anyone know where Haruhi is?” Tamaki looked shocked.

“What do you want to see my precious daughter for?!” he screamed.

“Daughter?” Laugher emerged from either side of her as two hands rested on either side of her shoulders.

“Just ignore him,” said one twin. “Yea, Haruhi is his favorite child,” said the other. Hikari kept on repeating the word “daughter” in her mind as she shrugged their hands off her.

“Fine. I’ll just look for him myself.” She went towards the back of the room and opened the back door. She walked in, closed it, and froze.

“Hikari? What are you doing here?” Hikari leaned against the door and smiled. Haruhi was wearing a pink undershirt while wearing the Ouran pants of the uniform.

“I thought you were different from the other members,” she said, “You’re a girl, aren’t you.” Haruhi put on her blouse and began to button it.

“Yeah, I guess you figured it out. I spilled some coffee all over my other uniform, so I had to change.” Hikari began to laugh while Haruhi looked puzzled.

“I have never met such interesting people since my parents were alive.” Haruhi was taken back.

“When your parents were alive?” she repeated. Hikari nodded.

“Yeah. My dad knew very interesting people. My mom did too, or she met many when she interviewed them.” Haruhi played with her hands.

“I’m so sorry.” Hikari stopped smiling and looked up. Haruhi’s eyes were filled with empathy.

“I lost my mother too,” she said, “but I can’t imagine losing both parents.” Hikari felt her legs grow numb. Out of her six years of living with her new family, she had never heard an apology from anyone, except from Natasha.

“It’s okay, really,” Hikari reassured, “My mom’s best friend is my personal driver. So at least I’ve got one family member.”

“Yeah, but it still must be hard.” Hikari held her necklace and felt her throat getting tighter.

“Yeah…sometimes it is…”

While Haruhi got ready, Hikari couldn’t help but tell her everything that had happened. For some reason, she felt that she could confide in this person all that she had felt, even after knowing her for less than a day. Haruhi was amazed at how well Hikari had composed herself for six years. In exchange, Haruhi told her tragedy. Hikari was amazed that Haruhi’s dad worked at an okama bar and couldn’t wait to meet him one day. He seemed like a lively character to her. Haruhi offered an invitation for her to come any time she liked. Hikari liked that a lot.

 _I really like Haruhi, mom and dad_ , she prayed, _She knows what it’s like_. Finally, Haruhi and Hikari went to join the other host members.

“What did you see?” asked two grizzly voices. Hikari noticed that the twins were staring at her as if she had committed a crime.

“What?”

“Now another person knows about Haruhi being a girl,” screamed one of the twins.

“What should we do to her?” the other one asked.

“Hikaru, Kaoru,” said Kyouya, “Leave the girl alone.” Hikaru and Kaoru backed off Hikari as Kyouya approached her.

“Did you figure out Haruhi’s secret?” he asked simply. Hikari nodded. “Then I guess you have two options before you. I could ruin your life as you know it (and believe me *adjusts his glasses* I can), or you can work in the host club as a waitress of some sort.” Hikari turned to Haruhi. She had no idea how to respond.

“Kyouya-senpai,” Haruhi began, “Isn’t that a little harsh? Casanova-kun knows my secret and he’s not working for the host club.” Kyouya placed a smirk on his face.

“Kasanoda-kun wanted to know how he could be like Mori-senpai, so it’s an equal price. Hikari-kun, however, has stuck her nose where it didn’t belong. Therefore, she has to pay a fair price.” Hikari didn’t like the fact that she’d be working as a maid for something that wasn’t even wrong. _What can I do?_ Suddenly, an idea came into her mind.

“Kyouya-senpai, let me be a host.” Everyone looked at her as if she were crazy. Laughter emerged again from the twins.

“There’s no way that you could be a host,” said one of them.

“Hikaru, shut up!” shouted Haruhi. Hikaru pulled himself together and walked over to Hikari.

“She has such a womanly figure,” he added, grabbing her waist from behind with one arm and his index finger under her chin with his vacant hand. “And she’s pretty cute. The girls would see right through it.” Hikari tightened her jaw and pushed Hikaru back. She felt her cheeks turn red.

“Watch me.” She grabbed Haruhi and went back into the other room. Once she closed the doors, she turned around.

“Haruhi, switch clothes with me.” Haruhi hesitated at first, but finally gave in. Once they were done, Hikari pulled her hair in a low pony-tail and took off her red ribbon in her hair. She turned to Haruhi.

“Well?” she asked Haruhi.

“Amazing,” she said, “You really look like a guy. You defiantly take after your father.” Hikari held up a peace sign.

“Now let’s show them what I can do,” Hikari said and left the room.

When she entered the main room, she had one arm leaning against the door and the other hand in her pocket. She was looking at the floor, but felt the host’s eyes on her. _Be like a guy,_ she repeated to herself, _be like a guy_. She looked up.

“Yo,” she said in a low, masculine voice. She treasured each host’s response: Tamaki screamed and held his face; the twins held each other in fear; Mori-senpai had no reaction; Kyouya adjusted his glasses with a smirk; and Honey looked puzzled.

“Who’re you?” he asked. Mori-senpai came up and stood behind him.

“Hikari,” he answered. Honey was shocked.

“NO WAY!” he screamed, “But she was a girl a minute ago.” Hikari walked up to Honey and bent down on one knee.

“It’s okay, Honey-kun,” she said, sounding like a proper gentleman, “Call me Hiroki.” Honey swung Hikari around.

“Hi, Hiro-chan.” Hikari bowed. She walked over to the twins and looked them in the eyes. With a smirk on her face, she went to one. She brought his face close to hers and held it gently in her hands.

“Since you protect Kaoru, who’ll protect you…Hikaru?” Hikaru looked very uncomfortable, which pleased Hikari greatly.

“Hikari, you can tell Hikaru and Kaoru apart?” Haruhi asked. She wore Hikari’s uniform, causing Tamaki to fling his arms around her.

“Haruhi, you look so cute!” he squealed. Haruhi let out a sigh, but didn’t push him away. Hikari laughed.

“It’s easy to tell these devils apart.” And she walked over to Tamaki and bowed.

“Your princess is beautiful,” she grabbed Haruhi’s hand and came close to her face. “I’m surprised that you’re still with this prince when you could be with a king.” She pulled herself away and struck a dramatic pose, the same way that had done throughout the afternoon.

“HEY! Stop copying my charm!” Tamaki screamed. Hikari walked over to Kyouya with her hands in her pockets again.

“Well?” she asked.

“I must say,” he began, “you defiantly know how to act like a guy. But what type of host would you be?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” she asked, not losing her character, “Lyrical.” Kyouya looked though his notebook and smiled.

“Well, lyrical is pretty general. What would make you different from Tamaki?” Hikari turned in front of everyone and cleared her throat.

“ _I see her standing there. The wind blowing through her silk black hair. A soft texture against my skin. Her eyes shine brighter than the sun, blinding me from her beauty. Her lips…rouge color. I come close to her, our breaths mingling together. As I leaned in for that kiss,-_ ” She stopped and looked at the hosts. They were all leaning in, waiting for her to finish.

“So you’ve had your first kiss?” Hikaru asked her. Hikari rolled her eyes and let her hair down. She briefly ran her fingers through it.

“That’s personal information,” she answered and then turned to Kyouya. “Well?” she asked again. Kyouya was silent for a while.

“Welcome to the Host Club…Hiroki.” 


	2. Kyouya Digs too Deep.

**NOTE:** _This is the first time that we’re seeing Hikari act as Hiroki. When the host club is open, Hikari literally becomes Hiroki (she becomes he etc). But when the club is closed, everything is back to normal._

“Don’t pick me up till after six o’clock,” Hikari reminded, “My club doesn’t end until then.”

“ _Alright_ ,” Natasha replied with a giggle, “ _Is there anything you’re doing in particular today_?”

“I’ve told you this last week,” Hikari repeated as Haruhi entered the back room with Hikari’s boy uniform. “Ok…uh-huh…I know…NO!!!...bye.” Haruhi smiled.

“So she’s on your tail as well?” she asked. Hikari let out a sigh.

“Natasha wants to know which member I’ll be getting with.” She grabbed her stuff with a grunt and headed to the changing area. She immediately threw her dress over the curtain. Haruhi picked it off the floor and began to fold it.

“Natasha wants to look out for you,” she said, “even if that means butting into your life.”

“I know,” Hikari replied, “but I don’t want her to get any ideas. I’m already doing things behind _their_   backs. I can’t have any distraction. They’ll become leads that will trace them to me. And if they find out about this-”

“I know,” Haruhi finished sympathetically. “Don’t worry though. Kyouya-senpai will be able to protect your secret.”

“I think it’s ridiculous that he’s making me do this,” Hikari added. Haruhi giggled and quickly glanced around the room.

“Honestly,” she began, “He suggested it because we’re low on business.” Hikari drew back the curtains. She wore her guy uniform, but had not put her hair up yet.

“So you guys really take money from innocent girls?” Haruhi guiltily nodded.

“I was upset too, when I first found out. But then again, if they’re willing to spend it, I guess it’s okay…though I fail to see why.” Hikari put her hair up as Haruhi approached the back door. “I think they’re gonna open now. Ready…Hiroki-kun?” Hikari focused.

“Yeah,” she said in a deep voice.

{The Host Club is now open}

Hiroki walked over to his table. Three girls eagerly awaited to meet their new host. When they saw him walking, they all blushed.

“Hiroki-kun,” they said with a sigh. Hiroki smiled gently and bowed.

“A pleasure as always ladies,” he said, noticing that his voice carried the girl’s hearts away. “What brings such lovely creature to this table?” they giggled.

“Umm…” one of them stuttered, “I-I read your story…It was…It was…” Hiroki lifted her chin so that she could look into his dark, mystical eyes.

“Was it to your liking?” He breathed. The girl swooned, losing her breath as she briefly fanned herself. “You’re beginning to look as red as a sunset, my dear. Is there anything I can get for you?”

“Hiroki-kun?” the seconded one asked. He stood up and sat down next to her. “Can you write another story?” Hiroki took the pencil and notebook on his table and opened it.

“What do you want me to write about?” he asked. The girl thought for a while and then decided.

“I want to be a mermaid princess and for you to come and rescue me from the evil witch that has imprisoned me in her palace.” Hiroki wrote it down and laughed. All three leaned in close to each other.

“You girls are too cute,” he said, “Your wish will be granted. I’ll write it for you as soon as I can.”

“Can you write a story about me being a fairy queen?” And the suggestions continued to pour over Hiroki. He accepted all three different proposals and hinted as to how he’ll approach their specific requests. The girls kept swaying side to side with admiration, absorbing his every word until the final breath. Once the girls left, Hiroki helped Haruhi bring out coffees and cakes.

“Hey, Hiroki?” a twin had asked from behind.

“What is it, Hikaru?” Hikaru looked a little shocked, but shook it off.

“I want to talk to you later. Can we meet after we’re closed?” Hiroki rested the coffee tray onto a table and placed his hands behind his head.

“We’ll see,” he answered and walked away to help with the club.

{Host Club is now closed}

“Good work, Hikari,” Kyouya said, “I’m thinking that maybe we should sell your stories at a good price.”

“My stories for the girls are not for sale,” Hikari said pulling her hair down. “I give my words out for free.” She let out a light sigh. _It’s the least I can do. I can’t even do that in that house I’m living in_. Haruhi seemed to have read her mind and decided to change the topic.

“Kyouya-senpai, what’s the next cosplay?” Tamaki appeared behind her with sparkles surrounding him.

“We’re having a new type of scenery.” He flung his arms out, “A scenery that’s from the tropical islands of…” He clapped his hands “Hawaii!” Silence filled the room.

“Why Hawaii?” Haruhi asked.

“Because,” Hikaru said, “Tono wants to see his precious girl in a bikini.” Tamaki’s excitement transformed into anger, causing him to strangle Hikaru.

“Tono,” Kaoru said, “Why Hawaii? Isn’t that similar to the Bali theme last year?” Shocked to hear this, Tamaki released Hikaru and began to explain the difference between the two. During his monologue, Hikari looked back and forth between the twins. She grabbed her notebook and started to write furiously.

“So…you can tell them apart, right?” Haruhi asked over her shoulder.

“Yeah. At first, was really challenging. But after I saw the way Hikaru looked at Kaoru during their…” she tried to find a word. “…’brotherly love’ act, I noticed that Hikaru has a stronger sense of protection in his eyes. It’s as if he’s saying that no one has to protect him from any harm. But Kaoru, on the other hand, has a more sensitive side to him. He understands things better than Hikaru.”

“Wow. You can tell all that from one look?” Haruhi asked. Hikari smiled and gave her a wink.

“Yep.”

“That’s a relief. Usually they’ll want to play this game when-” but Hikari was swept away to the other side of the room.

“Hikari,” the twins said together, “Let’s play a game.” Hikari shrugged her shoudlers.

“What is it?” she asked.

“It’s the ‘Which one is Hikaru-kun game’. You have to figure out which one is which twin.”

“Don’t force her into this game,” Haruhi preached, “She already-” but they placed their hats on their head and began to switch around the room. “I tried to stop them.”

“It’s okay,” Hikari replied, “Besides, maybe now I can show Hikaru that I’m more than I appear.” Haruhi didn’t seem to understand what she meant by that and sighed. Once the twins were done switching, Hikari looked into their eyes. She was able to distinguish the different meaning that was beyond them and smiled. First, she wandered behind one and whispered, “You’re Hikaru.” Then spun around the other and pointed. “And you’re Kaoru.” The twins didn’t react at first.

“Come on guys,” she said, “It’s not a totally shocker that I figured that out.” Kaoru took off his hat and began to laugh.

“Yeah, you win. I guess we should stop playing that game with people who had just joined our club.” As Kaoru laughed, Hikaru slowly took off his hat. Hikari felt his hot glare going down her back as she walked away. She swallowed hard. _I’ve got a feeling that someone’s not happy with me_.

“Hiri-chan, are you excited about the Hawaiian theme this week?” Honey asked. Hikari thought for a bit.

“I dunno. I couldn’t wear anything that’s Hawaiian because then people would know that Hiroki doesn’t exist.” Suddenly, a motor sound began to fill the room. The ground began to shake and laughter filled the room.

“~OHOHOHOHOHO~” it screamed. As Hikari covered her ears, Haruhi came up from behind and tied her hair back.

“Be Hiroki,” she whispered. Hikari nodded and changed characters.

“A Hawaiian themed cosplay? How romantic,” said a girl on a spinning platform. “The girls should come in swimsuits and the boys as Hawaiian surfers.” She gasped. “How terribly romantic! It’s MOE!!!!” Hikari leaned into Haruhi.

“Who’s she?” she asked.

“That’s Renge-kun, the host club manager,” Kyouya answered. Renge turned to Kyouya and saw Hikari standing next to him.

“Who’re you?” She asked. Hikari took a deep breath a bowed.

“Excuse me for not properly introducing myself,” she said in her Hiroki voice, “I’m Hiroki. Pleased to meet you.” Renge pulled out a pair of opera binoculars from her yellow dress and stared at Hikari, examining her as if she were an expensive item.

“OO” she squealed, “You resemble Haruhi-kun ever so slightly, and yet you seem so…different.” She put them away. “I defiantly hope to see you two working together in the near future. It would be the best way to figure out if you’re moe enough to remain in this club.” And she descended into the ground. Hikari didn’t know what to say. Haruhi tapped her shoulder as if reading her thoughts and shook her head.

“Haruhi,” Tamaki said, “Will you be wear this lovely bathing suit and-?” Haruhi didn’t let him finish. She instead pulled Tamaki to a corner of the room and spoke to him in private. Hikari took her hair down and looked at the two before deciding to go change in the back room.

Once she had finished changing, she looked at her necklace again. “Dad,” she said aloud, “Your talent is saving my butt over here. I hope that you’re watching me perform.”

“Why don’t you tell him yourself,” said a male voice. Hikari pulled back the curtain and saw Hikaru closing the door behind him.

“It’s complicated,” She replied. Hikaru began to appear frustrated and annoyed. “Are you okay?”

“How can you tell us apart?” he mumbled.

“What?”

“HOW CAN YOU TELL US APART DAMMIT!” Hikari jumped back by the sudden volume in his voice. He clenched his fists tightly. “You barely know us and you can suddenly tell us apart. The only person that can tell us apart is Haruhi.” He took a few moments to gather his thoughts before continuing, “Slowly, people are remembering that I’m Hikaru instead of confusing me with Kaoru. YOU’RE TAKING AWAY MY FUN!” he grabbed Hikari by the shoulders, slammed her into the wall, and stared at the floor. Hikari began to feel a little bit of fear running through her veins.

“How?” He asked calming down. Hikari waited until his hands loosened their grip. “How can you tell us apart? Even before you knew us…you whispered my name.”

“You’re eyes,” she said in a soft voice. “You and Kaoru have different meanings behind your eyes. Kaoru is more sensible, responsible; a caring person. Your eyes say something different.” Hikaru looked up at her. She saw into his eyes and said what was before her.

“You’re eyes…need to protect someone. Kaoru particularly,” she replied, “But there’s something more that you want. Not only do you want to protect your brother, but someone else. Unfortunately, you know that you two just…cannot be.” Hikaru placed his forehead on hers.

“…’someone else’…huh?” he released her from her corner and left the room. Hikari didn’t move for what felt like minutes. The only sound that could be heard was the beating of her heart in her ears. Once she was able to stand, she wobbled out of the room.

“Ah, Hikari-kun,” Kyouya said, “Just the girl I was looking for. It seems there’re some issues as to you working at our club.” Hikari wasn’t quite sure what he meant. “Your family relies heavily on reputations and they don’t seem to think of you as a positive influence.”

“How do you—?” Hikari throat began to tighten. Kyouya opened his book.

“Niwazaki Yuuji and his wife Niwazaki Kira: Business partners that have recently been buying out independent companies in order to create one Niwazaki business. The father handles the marketing while the mother distributes and organizes the stores to their liking. Their goal for Hikari is to become accomplished so as to help them market towards high school kids and then possibly into their working force.” He slapped his book shut. “And they despise writing.” Hikari didn’t know what to do. She bit her lower lip to hold her tongue.

“As vice president of this club, I cannot allow someone from such a family to work here without their parents knowing. It jeopardizes the club.” He quickly pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and added, “Or is that your entire purpose of joining?” Hikari felt her heart freeze.

“Kyouya,” Haruhi warned, “Stop it.” Kyouya glanced over at Haruhi.

“Isn’t it strange that she discovered your secret her first day here? It’s as if she’s finding the reasons to have us disbanded.” Hikari took a breath. 

“What do you know,” she mumbled, “What do you know about me?” He placed an evil smile on his face.

“I have my sources,” he replied.

“Then your sources are wrong,” Hikari screamed. The Host members shivered together.

“Kyou-chan, I think you should stop,” Honey suggested.

“And how do you know that my sources are wrong?” He asked in a calm, cold tone.

“Because only a few people know the truth.”

“Oh really?”

“Kyouya,” Tamaki said, “Just leave it. I’m sure this is a mis-”

“And what is the truth then, if you know?” Kyouya asked. Hikari hesitated. “Exactly, because there isn’t anything-” Hikari felt Natasha’s words of wisdom creep into her head. She came right up to Kyouya, raised her hand, and slapped him across the face. His glasses fell off; its sound echoed in the room

“I was told that when a man starts to get personal and you don’t like it, you slap them.” Kyouya held his check. He didn’t seem angry at all. His eyes had widened as if he had seen a monster.

“There’s only one other girl that was able to slap me,” he said putting on his glasses, “And she said the same thing.” He got up and wiped his clothes.

“I’m not surprised,” Hikari said, “and FYI: I’m adopted. My real name is Hoshiyama Hikari. And my real, loving parents died trying to save me.” Everyone but Haruhi gasped. “They tried to save me and I was adopted by the stupid Niwazaki family. My real father was an actor and playwright, my mother was a reporter, and her best friend, Orihara Natasha, is supposed to be my guardian. But the Niwazaki family is trying to keep her away from me and now she has to disguise herself to be with me. I’m forbidden to fulfill my dream anywhere now that my family is gone and one of them is trying to survive there by acting like a man!” Everything fell silent. Hikari was panting and walked towards the window. She saw Natasha’s car outside.

“I’ll do anything to write. I want to show my parents in heaven that their lives weren’t taken in vain. And I want to make Natasha proud; to show her that her sacrifice for me means more than anything anyone could offer me.” She turned to face Kyouya, her voice strong and clear. “If you still want to tell those people, fine, but then you’ll never see my face anywhere again.” Hikari put her hair up in a high pony tail and headed towards the door.

“Bye, Haruhi. I’ll call you later.” And she left.

[Inside the host club]

“How could you be so careless?” Haruhi yelled. Kyouya wandered to the window. “You think you know everything but you don’t.”

“Haruhi,” Tamaki gently grabbed her shoulders, “Just leave it.”

“How can I just leave it when Kyouya-senpai hurt Hikari?” Haruhi broke away from him and started to pack her things.

“Poor Hiri-chan,” Honey said.

“Mhmm,” Mori added.

“I wouldn’t have guessed,” Kaoru said. “She seems so normal and composed. It’s hard to believe that she has suffered at all in her life.” He turned to Hikaru and noticed that he hadn’t said anything yet. He was leaning against the table with his hands in his pockets.

“She didn’t take any of her things,” Haruhi mentioned aloud, “I guess I’ll take them to her house.” She walked towards the back room, but Hikaru stopped her.

“Don’t worry about it, Haruhi,” he said, “You’ve got to study and keep your grades up.” Haruhi tilted her head back.

“I promise,” he said, “I won’t forget.”

“Fine,” she finally said. She grabbed her things and began to leave.

“Haruhi, I’ll take you home,” Tamaki said.

“If you take me home again, Dad’s going to kill you.” Tamaki seemed offended.

“But since we’re together, he should get to know his son-in-law,” Haruhi blushed.

“I’m not marrying you.”

“Yet,” Tamaki added. Haruhi didn’t fight it. Instead she said, “Fine, but only half way.” Tamaki was pleased to hear this and quickly followed Haruhi to the door. They were about to leave when Kyouya’s voice stopped them.

“Orihara Natasha…I haven’t heard that name…for such a long time…”

“Kyouya,” Tamaki said sympathetically.

****

Hikari let the hot water relax her muscles. _So much happened today_ , she thought. _I promised them that I wouldn’t say anything about my past. Kyouya would probably tell them and then I’m not gonna be able to stay at that school_. She began to play with her necklace.

_Mom, Dad, This past week may have been weird, but it’s also different than from the other schools I’ve been to. And I think that Haruhi is an amazing person and I want to know her better. And…_ She sank into the water. _…I wanna know more about the host club. Especially…_ A knock came from her balcony door. Hikari shot straight up and looked at the clock. 9:30. _It must be a squirrel or something_. The knocking continued.

“Oh my god,” She mumbled in frustration. She grabbed a towel, dried herself, put on a night gown and slippers, and began to brush her hair while walking to the door.

“I’m gonna seriously try and-”Hikari stopped dead in her tracks. The knocking wasn’t a squirrel, but someone else. Even in the dark, she could see his auburn hair and golden eyes shine in the night.

“Hikaru?” She said opening the doors, “How did you get up here?” He didn’t say anything. He just stared at her. “Hello?” she said again.

“Is that what you wear to bed?” He finally asked. Hikari blushed.

“Well sorry that I try to wear something comfortable to bed,” She said in a shaky voice.

“That’s okay. I sleep without a shirt. Sometimes without anything, really,” He added entering her room.

“I didn’t need to know that,” She said squeezing the bridge of her nose together to prevent a headache.

Hikaru looked around her room. It was white with a king size bed in the center. Her white bureau was to the left with nothing but school books and a desk light. Her bathroom, on the right, had the lights on, which apparently invited Hikaru to walk in. Hikari ran in front of him and slammed the door.

“Boys aren’t allowed in,” she said.

“Why?” Are you hiding something?”

“Yes. It’s called ‘my privacy’. Why are you here anyway?”

“To drop this off.” He handed her school bag and her boy uniform. “You left it in the club room when you left.”

“Oh,” Hikari said feeling a little stupid. “Thank you.” Hikaru took the stuff back and placed them on her bed. He paused for a minute and looked around the room.

“Not much here,” he commented.

“And I’d like to keep it that way,” Hikari countered. Hikaru chuckled.

“This room…has no life,” he added

“I know that.”

“You don’t want to decorate it?”

“Why would I want to?”

“It’s your room,” Hikaru pointed out, “Jazz it up a little.”

“It’s not my room,” she corrected. “Can you leave?” Hikaru came over to her and lifted her chin. She saw that he was trying to look through her eyes as if desperately wanting to know what was behind them.

“I’m sorry about your family,” He said, almost as a whisper. “I admire your…bravery.” He glided his smooth fingers around her neck and traced the butterfly necklace that rested on her bare skin. She felt goosebumps rising in her skin and the fine hairs standing on the back of her neck. He smirked.

“You worry about protecting me, but who’s going to protect you?” Hikari felt her body heat up. Hikaru moved his hand onto her shoulder and bent down. She felt his warm lips touching her skin along with the necklace. He looked up at her with a triumphant smile. Her mind became cloudy and she felt her body beginning to feel a little weak.

“I’ll see you tomorrow,” he said and began to leave.

“Wait,” she called out, causing him to turn around. She suddenly realized that she spoke without even thinking. “Oh, n-nothing. See you tomorrow.” Hikaru smiled and disappeared into the night. Hikari closed the door.

“WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR!?” she screamed.

****

“NO WAY!” Natasha screamed. Hikari almost dropped her coffee.

“Yeah. He came up into my room through the balcony, dropped off my stuff, and… kissed my necklace.” She blushed at the thought of the previous night.

“I think Hikaru’s got a thing for you.”

“I don’t think so,” Hikari said. Natasha laughed.

“Hikari, would he kiss your necklace if he didn’t like you?” Hikari didn’t answer.

“But he does that to trick people. He’s probably not serious.”

“Are you?” she asked. Hikari’s face turned completely red.

“NO NO NO NO NO!” she screamed. Natasha laughed a bit as Hikari groaned. “Can we change the topic?” Natasha nodded.

“You seemed really upset yesterday when you got in the car,” she pointed out, “Did something else happen?” Hikari took a sip of her coffee.

“Yeah.” She took a bite of her muffin. “One of them, the ‘vice president’ of the club, thought that he knew everything about me and ‘my family’. And when he began to think of me being as low as this family, I lost it.”

“How did you lose it?”

“I began to tell him about mom and dad…and you too.” Natasha gasped.

“But what if he tells the Niwazakis?” she asked.

“I dunno. I’m gonna talk to Haruhi and see If she knows a way to get out of this.”

“Maybe you should also ask Haruhi if she can give you Hikaru tips too, since she is in his class _and_ is in the grade above you.”

“Change of topic for 500 please,” Hikari emphasized.

“Alright, alright. So who’s this guy that made you talk about your past?”

“His name is Ootori Kyouya. I swear, that guy’s got issues.” Natasha fell silent. She continued to drive, but didn’t look in the rear-view mirror.

“Natasha?” she asked. Natasha snapped out of her thought and smiled.

“Oh, sorry,” she said, “So did you do anything else to Kyouya?” she asked.

“Yeah. I slapped him, like you always tell me to do if a guy got too personal…” Natasha laughed again, but it was different. Hikari knew that that laugh was forced out to try and brush over the topic.

“That’s my girl. I bet he looked really shocked.”

“He did,” Hikari said with concern in her voice. “Natasha, did I say something wrong?” Natasha stopped laughing and looked at Hikari. She opened her mouth as if she were going to speak, but quickly shut it and began to think again.

“It’s a long and complicated story,” she began, “And to be honest, I don’t want to remember it now. I can promise you to tell you that story at some point. Just not now.” For the rest of the trip to Ouran, they were silent.

Throughout the morning, Hikari was concerned about Natasha. _What is it that she can’t tell me?_ The bell rang for lunch and Hikari went to the cafeteria. She grabbed her food and carried it to the library. As she sat it down and began to eat, she heard the door open.

“Hikari,” said a feminine voice.

“Haruhi,” Hikari said with delight. “I’m glad that you’re here.” Haruhi took a seat next to her as Hikari explain what happened to Natasha in the car and Hikaru the night before.

“HIKARU DID WHAT?!” she yelled in shock. Hikari covered her mouth.

“Shhhhh,” she whispered, “Keep it down, Haruhi. It’s not something that I want known.” Haruhi opened her bento box and began to eat. Hikari offered some of her food in exchange for some home-made food, which was something Haruhi didn’t mind.

“So,” Haruhi said after helping herself to some of Hikari’s food. “Hikaru kissed your necklace. Did you slap him?” Hikari hesitated and shook her head.

“I was too shocked to do anything,” she moved her food around as Haruhi took another bit of her food.

“Well, he seems pretty normal today,” Haruhi mentioned. “Nothing out of the ordinary.”

“Well I’m glad that he found it satisfying,” Hikari said pushing her food away. “And I wonder what’s going on in Natasha’s mind.”

“Judging by her reaction,” Haruhi said, “There was probably something that brought back a bad memory.”

“I don’t know.” Hikari placed her head on the table.

“When did she start to act strange?” Haruhi asked.

“After I mentioned Kyouya’s name.” Haruhi placed her chin on her hand.

“Then there’s something that involved her and Kyouya-senpai in the past,” Hikari lifted her head.

“Are you crazy, Haruhi?”

“No I’m not. I think that it makes sense.” The lunch bell rang and the two girls stood up.

“Don’t worry,” Haruhi assured, “Renge-kun made it so that you and I are working together during the cosplay. So don’t worry about Hikaru and Kyouya-senpai.” Hikari nodded and they left the room.

The afternoon classes went by quickly for Hikari. She was so devoted to finishing her work that she had forgotten about her troubles with her two fellow host members. As she entered the third music room, Hikari saw that the room had transformed into a tropical paradise. Palm trees surrounded her while the sounds of the ocean and tropical music filled the room. Even the host members were ready in full costume. Tamaki, Kaoru, Hikaru, and Mori-senpai were wearing bathing suits and holding onto surfboards. Honey wore a flower reef around his neck and a hula skirt with a flower anklet. Kyouya and Haruhi wore Bermuda shorts and Hawaiian shirt, as if they were tourists. Basically, the room looked as if they had taken Hawaii and dropped it in the host club room.

“It’s just Hikari,” the twins said in unison. Hikari didn’t say a word and started to head to the back room.

“You’re costume is on the table in your changing room,” Kyouya said, not looking up from his notebook. “It will cost you for borrowing the costume.”

“This is this first time I’ve heard of this. Does everyone in the host club have to pay?” She asked. Kyouya didn’t respond at first, but he adjusted his glasses and answered, “Of course.” Hikari didn’t talk back and entered the room. She saw her costume was similar to the ones that Haruhi and Kyouya were wearing. With a deep breath she changed.

{The Host Club is now Open}

“Welcome,” said the Host club members. The girls screamed with joy as they saw their favorite host members. Everyone went to their designated area and were flattered by their hosts.

“Here’s your story,” Hiroki said as he gave it to one of the girls. She gasped with joy.

“Oh my,” she breathed, reading the first few sentences. When she finished, her eyes sparkled. “Thank you so much, Hiroki-kun.” He smiled.

“The pleasure is all mine.”

“Your stories are so detailed, Hiroki-kun,” Haruhi said picking one up.

“Of course they are. They’re supposed to make the reader believe that they are in the story and that anything is possible.” The girls sighed.

“Keep up the good work,” Haruhi replied, “I’m going to take this tea to Senpai’s table.” Haruhi motioned towards Tamaki’s table.

“Alright, Haruhi.” He waved, “Don’t take long.”

Soon, Hiroki’s girls left and he wandered around the club. He was beginning to help Haruhi with some of the tea things when Honey jumped on his back.

“Hiro-chan!” he said, “Do you know what next week’s cosplay is?” Hiroki shook his head. “We’re doing Cinderella themed.”

“How can we do a Cinderella theme cosplay?” he asked, “Are we going to look like the cast or something?”

“Wrong, Hiroki,” Tamaki said from behind. He placed his hand on Haruhi and Hiroki’s shoulder.

“Our Dance party is next week and we must prepare for it.” He spun around. “In the past, we had just typical parties, but now we’re going to spice it up by adding a romantic theme.” He struck a pose as rose petals fell around him.

“Renge-kun offered that idea, didn’t she,” Haruhi guessed. Tamaki turned pail, but recovered.

“Close. She asked me to take a toll of which fairy tales girls loved best and they picked Cinderella!”

“The host club is having another dance party?” asked one of the girls.

“Of course. And with our Cinderella theme, all girls must look their best for their favorite host. It’s next week.” He held the girl close and lifted her chin.

“Once we know more, I will personally let you know.”

“Oh, my prince.”

Hiroki and Haruhi turned the other way.

“A dance party?” He asked.

“Yep,” Haruhi answered, “Brace yourself. It will be a long night.” 


	3. The Princes are Giving a Ball—Hikari Dances.

   **NOTE:** _Hikari sees Haruhi as a different person when they’re outside of Ouran walls. I hope you readers don’t mind my interpretation. Enjoy_

[The following week]

Natasha remained silent during the drive to Ouran. _She’s been like this for a week now_ , Hikari thought to herself. _I wonder what happened that keeps so quiet._ Natasha stopped the car in front of the school.

“Have a good day,” she said with a smile, her voice sounding normal, “I’ll pick you up after your club’s over.” Hikari nodded and grabbed the car handle, but she hesitated.

“Natasha, what’s wrong?” Hikari asked.

“Nothing. Don’t worry about it,” Natasha answered.

“You’ve been like this for a week now,” Hikari pointed out. “You’ve gotta tell me what’s going on or you’ll be like this for a while.” Natasha’s grip on the wheel tightened.

“I _will_ tell you,” she replied, “but not now.” She turned around and faced Hikari. Her smile turned into a teasing grin. “I’ll tell you once you and Hikaru are in a _deep_ relationship.” Hikari smiled and gently pushed her.

“We’re not dating,” she said, rolling her eyes as she got out of the car. She then faced Natasha with her back straight and her nose held high. “By the way, I hope to see more of this type of attitude, Orihara-san.” Natasha laughed as she pulled away from Ouran. Hikari smiled. _At least she’ll be like her normal self until the time comes_.

“Hikari?” Hikari turned and saw Kyouya staring at the driveway.

“Morning, Kyouya-senpai,” she replied. He nodded.

“Who was that in the car?” Hikari began to walk towards the school, ignoring his question out of spite. Kyouya followed and asked again.

“I’m not telling you anything,” she answered. “I’m not going to let you black mail me any more than you already are.”

“Are you implying about our conversation in the club room last week?” he asked. Hikari nodded. “I see…” he adjusted his glasses and leaned on the school building in front of Hikari.

“Alright,” he said after a moment of silence. “I won’t tell the Niwazaki family about writing in the club.”

“What’s my price?” Hikari asked. Kyouya gave her a confusing look. “There’s always a price when _you_ make a deal, Kyouya-senpai. What’s it this time?” He placed one of his hands in his pockets and looked at the road again.

“It depends on the facts that you give,” he replied. Hikari sighed.

“Fine,” she took a deep breath. “That was Orihara Natasha, my driver and guardian over me since my parent’s death.” Kyouya’s expression remained emotionless.

“What did she do before then?” he asked.

“She was a singer.” Hikari looked at the road and smiled. Her mind slowly carried her throughout her memories. “Natasha is a singing prodigy. My mom interviewed her when she was only 10 years old. She was always surrounded by adults, but mom was different. She did kid stuff with her so that she wouldn’t miss out on her childhood. I met her when I was seven. She has always been like an older sister to me. Plus she also learned from my dad how to disguise herself. She’s quite talented!”

“What about her parents?” Kyouya asked.

“Her parents were only supporting her to get her money. She looked up to my mom and dad as parents…but she really saw my mom as a best friend, which she was.”

“How could a 10 year old be best friends with someone who’s 24?”Hikari shrugged.

“The same way that she fell in love with someone four years younger than her.” Kyouya, for the first time, looked at Hikari. She was completely lost in thought. “‘For a kid who was four years old, he seemed more like a 12-year-old’. That’s what she said about him.”

“How’d they break up?” Hikari looked into Kyouya’s eyes.

“Why do you want to know?” she asked, “I’ve given you a lot of information about someone you’ve never met. Why’re you interested in her anyway?” Hikari saw pain in Kyouya’s eyes. He turned around so that she couldn’t see it any more.

“Fine,” he said, missing Hikari’s question entirely, “You’ve kept your end of the deal and I’ll keep mine.” He thought for a moment, “But if I see a story of yours lying around I’m going to sell it to the customers.”

“Fair enough,” Hikari said and walked off to her class.

****

Hikari walked her way towards the third music room, puzzling over Kyouya’s interest in Natasha. When she entered the music room, everyone huddled around a rectangular table that had not been set up the day before.

“Okay, I’ve got a question,” she asked aloud, “Where do all of these things come from?”

“You shouldn’t ask,” Haruhi answered, “I still ask that, but the question still remains a mystery.” Hikari grabbed a chair next to Haruhi and looked at the paper scattered across the table.

“What’s this for?” she asked.

“For the Cinderella ball,” Honey said throwing his hands in the air. “There’s going to be so many different types of cakes there.”

“And Ootoro,” Mori-senpai added. Haruhi took a deep breath.

“But can we really plan out a Cinderella ball without any of the characters?” Hikari asked picking up a paper that had a drawing of what appeared to be costumes for them to wear.

“It’s quite simple, actually,” Tamaki said, “There’re eight princes and one glass slipper. Every girl will dance with the host of their choice, and, in another room, will try on the slipper. The one that has the perfect fit will dance with her prince until midnight and will receive a kiss from him on their cheek.”

“But that’s the same as last year,” Hikaru commented. His voice sounded bored of the idea.

“That’s true,” Kaoru added, “The only thing that’s new is that’s different is the glass slipper.”

“And that Haruhi kissed the best dancer,” Hikaru repeated. “Other than that, it’s basically the same as last year.”

“No it’s not!” Tamaki protested. He picked up another sheet of paper that had different dress designs. Hikari wondered if they were from the Victorian age.

“The princesses will dress like this,” he said directing everyone’s attention towards the paper. “And the princes will wear the proper suits to match. There’ll be waltzing and dancing from the Victorian era too. Completely different from last year.”

“I still see no difference,” the twin said together. Tamaki, in malevolence, began to chase the twins around the room.

“Girls nowadays are truly interested in Cinderella themed cosplays?” Hikari asked Haruhi.

“Apparently. They seem to like the aspect of the prince falling in love with Cinderella without knowing who she really is.”

“Wow,” Hikari replied. She thought for a moment before asking, “Do you know how to dance?” Haruhi shrugged.

“Only a little bit.  Nothing fancy like them.” She pointed to the boys.

“Hiri-chan? Can you dance?” Honey asked. Hikari could have sworn that she saw little pink flowers flutter around him.

“Yeah. My parents were pretty good dancers. Dad had to learn it for one of his plays and mom tagged along. That’s how it started.”

“That’s cool,” Haruhi commented, “You must be pretty good then.” Hikari nodded.

“Then prove it.” Hikari and Haruhi turned to see Hikaru with his hands behind his head. “You keep on saying how good you are. Let’s see?” Hikari shot a glare at him, but accepted.

“Haruhi, be my partner.” Haruhi raised her hands and shook her head.

“I can’t dance,” she said. Hikari grabbed her wrist and placed her other hand on Haruhi’s waist.

“Don’t worry,” Hikari assured, “I’m just doing this to prove a point to Hikaru. Just follow my lead…literally.” And with that, she began to dance around the room. Haruhi had no difficulties in following her steps. As the two danced on, Hikari closed her eyes and saw a large ball room with an orchestra playing beautiful music. She imagined that she was dancing with her dad the way she did when she was trying to show him that she could lead a man.

“ _Haha, very good_ ,” he said, “ _You learn quickly, my little dancer_ ,” Hikari smiled. “ _I wonder if there’ll ever be a man that can lead you better than you can._ ” Hikari laughed.

“ _No way, daddy. I’m the best there is_.”

“You’re amazing,” Haruhi expressed. Hikari opened her eyes and smiled. She spun Haruhi out and back in as the music in her mind began to slowly die out and she slowly ended her dance. Applause filled the room.

“BRAVO!” Tamaki said clapping insanely fast.

“That truly was amazing.” Kaoru commented.

“But that was with a girl,” Hikaru said in a displeased tone. “Of course she’d be a better leader than a girl who can’t lead on her own.”

“Hikaru,” Haruhi and Hikari said together.

“Hikari should go to the ball as a girl, and dance with a real man.” Hikari felt anger flowing through her body.

“What’s your problem, Hikaru?” Haruhi asked.

“Nothing. I’m just posting my opinion, that’s all.”

“I just proved your opinion wrong, though,” Hikari pointed out. “Haruhi knows how to lead because she learned it from someone else. She’s on the same level as everyone else in this room.” Hikaru still looked discontented.

“Just go as a girl,” he repeated.

“She can’t,” Kyouya interrupted. “She’s entitled to participate in our activities as a host. Therefore, she must attend the ball as a guy.” Hikaru clenched his jaw and crossed his arms.

“Oh man, Hikaru,” Kaoru muttered. “Excuse him, Hikari-chan. He’s like this when he’s stubborn.”

“A gentleman shouldn’t act stubborn in front of a lady,” she said. Hikaru gave a death glare at Hikari, which she welcomed and threw back.

“And you know how a gentleman should act?” he asked.

“Yes. I do.”

“Because you’re a guy, right?”

“No, because I’ve met proper gentlemen before, and none ever acted the way you do.” Hikaru threw his fists to the side causing Kaoru to jump out of the way.

“Hikaru, stop this, already,” Haruhi warned.

“Hikaru,” Tamaki cautiously said, “Just calm down.” Hikaru remained focused on Hikari before stomping towards a chair. He grabbed it, pulled it towards the window, sat down, and pouted.

“What’s his problem?” Hikari asked.

“Hika-chan doesn’t like to be wrong,” Honey answered, “Or being called stubborn.” Hikari shrugged her shoulders.

“I’m called many different things, and I don’t let them get to me.”

“But not everyone’s the same,” Kaoru added. Hikari turned to the table and began to look at the costumes. She hoped to push this Hikaru problem aside and wanted to focus on other things.

After the planning had finished, they set the date for Friday night. Hikaru had stopped pouting and started to help the other members, but he ignored Hikari the whole of the time. She felt the hurt stir in her chest and the anger wrestle in her stomach. It was as if her heart and mind couldn’t agree on how to feel towards him. Her heart was crying, _Notice me. Don’t ignore me_. But her mind was screaming, _You idiot! You know nothing!_

“Hikari,” Kyouya said as they were finishing up, “Why don’t you spend the night at Haruhi’s for the next few nights? It’ll only be until the night of the ball.”

“Why?” Hikari asked. Kyouya drew out his notebook.

“Because,” he began, “You need an excuse as to why you’re arriving at the Niwazaki house later than usual. Also, you won’t get any work done with them breathing down your neck. And also…” he closed his notebook. “Orihara-san’s house is closer to Haruhi’s than the Niwazaki’s. That way, the commute won’t be as long for either of you. Plus Haruhi could go with you.”

“That sounds fine by me,” Hikari said. She turned to Haruhi. “Are you alright with that?”

“I’d have to ask my dad,” she said.

“Don’t worry,” Kyouya replied, “I took the liberty in asking him for you.”

“WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO STOP MAKING THESE CALLS!?” Haruhi screamed.

****

“Kyouya-senpai really has to stop doing that,” Haruhi said as the two girls entered the train.

“Yeah. But if I was going to be a bother tonight, you would have said something, right?” Hikari asked.

“Don’t worry,” Haruhi assured, “My dad’s been dying to meet you anyway.”

“Really?”

“Yeah!” Hikari smiled.

The rest of the way, Hikari and Haruhi exchanged stories about their past with their parents. As Haruhi opened the door to her apartment, a figure clung around her neck.

“HARUHI! Welcome home!” Hikari looked at the person hanging on Haruhi’s neck. The person had long brown hair and was wearing a skirt with a blouse on top.

“Hi dad,” she said, “This is Hoshiyama Hikari.” Haruhi’s dad turned around and noticed Hikari.

“Welcome,” he said with open arms. “I’m Haruhi’s father, but you can call me Ranka-san.”

“How do you do?” Hikari said with a bow, “Thank you for having me over on such short notice.” Ranka-san ran his fingers through his hair.

“Don’t mention it. It’s always a pleasure to have Haruhi’s friends over. Please, this way.” Hikari entered their small apartment. She took off her shoes and walked barefooted on the tatami floor. To the right was the kitchen and to the left was the living room. Up ahead were two bedrooms and a bathroom. Hikari felt a feeling of joy. _This reminds me of my old house…six years ago_.

“I hope that you don’t mind the small space,” Ranka said.

“Not at all,” Hikari said with delight. “This house is a perfect size.” Haruhi tapped her on the shoulder.

“Let’s get into some regular clothes and have some dinner,” she said.

“I’ll help,” Hikari offered. The two got out of their uniform and began to make the dinner. Once dinner was set, Ranka had his hair ted back and wore a “dad” T-shirt with black sweat pants. As the three sat down and began to eat, they said, “Ittadakimasu.” About half-way through the meal, Ranka spoke.

“Haruhi, I was told that there’s going to be a ball at your school that the Host Club is hosting.” Haruhi made a face.

“Did Kyouya mention that when he called?” Ranka placed a shocking look on his face.

“But you don’t tell me anything,” he replied in a whiny voice. Hikari tried to contain her laughter. She picked up her glass of water and slowly drank it down.

“Well, I bring it up because I know that there’s a certain host that you might be interested in dancing with.” Haruhi’s cheeks turned a little red.

“What are you talking about,” she said, “I have to dance. Therefore, I have to dress up like a boy. So I’m not going to be dancing with Tamaki-senpai.”

“You two are together, so it’s only natural that a couple dances together.” Hikari almost dropped her cup. Neither Ranka nor Haruhi noticed.

“Dad,” she said with annoyance in her voice.

“I don’t care if he has the most money in the world. I’m not letting that idiotic prince marry you.”

“Why does everyone think that we’re getting married? I want to fulfill my dream before anything.”

“What dream is that?” Hikari asked.

“I wanna be a lawyer like my mom.” Hikari smiled.

“That’s a strong goal.”

“I thought so too.” Haruhi moved closer to Hikari. “It’s like you with your dream to be a writer.”

“The only difference is that I’m not following in my parent’s footsteps. But they encourage it either way.”

“Hikari,” Ranka asked, “Is one of the hosts to your liking?” Hikari thought about it before Haruhi elbowed her in the ribs.

“Not really,” she answered.

“Really?” Ranka sounded shocked. “Kyouya-san said that you and Hikaru-kun seemed to be getting locked in rooms alone quite a lot.” Hikari didn’t know how to respond.

“DAD!” Haruhi screamed. After many arguments about Hikari and Haruhi becoming future brides of rich men, the two finally got into Haruhi’s room. It was simple and small. There were two futons laid out in the corner of the room. Haruhi’s desk was on the right and covered with law books, school books, and pictures.

“Wow,” Hikari said out loud.

“It’s nothing much,” Haruhi replied.

“No, it’s just enough.” She looked at the pictures of young Haruhi with her father and mother.

“You look a lot like your mom,” she commented.

“Thanks. She’s my role model.” Haruhi said as she placed her stuff on the floor.

“Hey, Haruhi,” Hikari began to ask, “Are you dating Tamaki-senpai?” Haruhi plopped down on the bed and looked around the room. She bit her lower lip.

“…Yes,” she finally admitted, “We’re dating…I guess.” She looked at the floor and blushed. Hikari came over and joined her on her bed.

“When did it start?” Hikari asked. Haruhi grabbed a pillow and hugged it tightly.

“Last year, at the cultural festival, Tamaki-senpai was engaged to this French girl. I wasn’t happy about it and didn’t know why at first, but then I heard the story about his past and realized that his character was…sort of a way of surviving the pain.”

“What do you mean?” Hikari asked. Haruhi began to explain about Tamaki’s mother and his grandmother was trying to black mail him to benefit the Suou family. Hikari could plainly see that Haruhi strongly disliked Tamaki’s grandmother.

“That’s horrible,” Hikari said. Haruhi nodded in agreement.

“I was then told about how he was leaving for France…and I felt so heart broken.” She squeezed her pillow. “The thought of Tamaki leaving Ouran made me feel…so sad. So we all followed him and tried to stop him from leaving. Kyouya punched a car. Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai beat up Kyouya’s guards who were blocking us. Hikaru and Kaoru used a horse and buggy half way, but Hikaru broke his arm when he flew out of the driver seat. And I just took the reins and went after him.” Hikari stared at Haruhi as she looked at the floor. Her eyes seemed to remember the pain of losing someone…that they really loved.

“I caught up to him and convinced him to come back. We both fell over a bridge, and got soaking wet, but we went to the festival anyway. I decided to remain a host member and he promised never to leave me again.”

“But when did he ask you out?” Hikari asked. She was curious to know what it was like dating a host member.

“We were beginning to be alone together a lot…and I didn’t mind him clinging on to me anymore…and then one day…around Christmas time…he asked me out.”

“But he always calls you his ‘daughter’,” Hikari pointed out, “And if he’s ‘daddy’, then he shouldn’t date his daughter.”

“Apparently he just didn’t know how to comprehend his feelings for me,” Haruhi replied. “We’re his family…his and Kyouya’s. But I guess now the positions have changed since I’m the one with Tamaki-senpai, but I don’t like to think about it.”

“But you act like you don’t like him.”

“I do that because he still embarrasses me. But he’s a great guy.” Haruhi genially smiled at the thought. Hikari leaned back against the wall.

“I still can’t believe it,” she mumbled.

“Nor can I, but I’m glad he’s with me. He knows me better than any of the other person, besides my real dad, of course.”

“It must be great to have that kind of relationship.” Haruhi nodded.

“So how about you?” Hikari felt her body freezing in place. “What’s really happening with you and Hikaru?”

“I already told you everything,” Hikari answered quickly, “Besides, Hikaru isn’t serious. He just jokes around. I bet you he wants me to like him, so that he could make fun of me later.”

“I don’t think so,” Haruhi replied, “I know he may seem like a jerk, but he really isn’t.”

“But what about today with the dance thing?”

“I’m not sure why he decided to pick a fight with you,” Haruhi said in his defense, “but I do know that he didn’t mean it.” Hikari got off Haruhi’s bed and went to her own. She didn’t speak for a while.

“Haruhi,” Hikari finally said, “Is it weird dating a host when you’re acting like a guy?”

“Not really,” Haruhi answered, “It’s weird that people seriously expect me to marry him, though.”

“WHAT?!” Hikari screamed, “But you’re only in high school.”

“Tamaki told me that his dad wants me to marry him, which he himself added that he didn’t mind, but he will let me fulfill my dream before anything happens.”

“Will you two still be together by then?” Haruhi shrugged.

“I don’t know.”

“Do you want to marry him?” Hikari asked. Haruhi was about to answer, but shut her mouth. She jumped off her bed to head towards her door. Quietly, she opened it and looked around.

“Good,” she sighed in relief, “Dad’s asleep.” She closed the door and sat with Hikari.

“Honestly,” she began, swallowing hard. “I wouldn’t mind.” Hikari’s eyes grew wide.

“Seriously?” Hikari asked. Haruhi nodded. “Why?”

“I’m not really sure,” she answered, “It just…feels right.” Hikari gave her a confusing look. “Don’t worry,” she assured, “I’m not going to let this get in the way of becoming a lawyer.” Hikari sighed in relief. “It’s something for me to think about when I’m older. And who knows. Maybe it won’t even happen.”

“Okay,” Hikari said. She got out her notebook and scribbled down some notes.

“You’re always writing things down,” Haruhi pointed out.

“A writer is always on her toes.”

“Hikari?” Hikari looked up from writing, “Can you not…tell people about me and Tamaki-senpai.” She nodded. “I don’t mind if you tell Natasha, since she doesn’t keep in touch with our school, but I like to keep my image under the rug.” Hikari smiled.

“No problem. I’m glad that I’m seeing the real you and not some cosplay.” The two of them laughed. “You’re a little more girly than I thought you were.” Haruhi shrugged her shoulders.

“There’s a lot of things people don’t know about me at Ouran, but I’m happy to share them with a good friend.” They both laughed again. _We’re so lame_ , Hikari thought happily. 


	4. The Princes are Giving a Ball—Hikaru Loses it.

“Morning girls,” Natasha said as Haruhi and Hikari approached the car.

“Natasha, this is Fujioka Haruhi,” Hikari introduced. “Haruhi, this is Orihara Natasha.” Haruhi bowed.

“Nice to meet you,” she said.

“Likewise.” Natasha pressed a button and opened the door. “You’re breakfast is in the car.” Hikari and Haruhi crawled into the vehicle. It was a little bigger than a normal car, but smaller than a limousine. There was a table set with coffee and muffins.

“I hope you don’t mind take-out,” Hikari said.

“Not at all,” Haruhi replied as she took a bite of a strawberry muffin. Hikari took her coffee and had a sip.

The three girls talked about the Cinderella ball coming up that Friday. The conversation changed when Natasha asked Haruhi about herself. Haruhi talked about her late mother, her father, her issues with the host club, and Tamaki. Natasha nodded along with a smile.

“You’ve got a strong head on your shoulders, Haruhi-chan. And Tamaki-kun sounds like a reasonable guy, even if he is an idiot.” Haruhi coughed while drinking her coffee.

“R-reasonable?” Haruhi repeated.

“I’m serious,” Natasha said, “He may act funny in front of everyone, but he seems to be himself in front of you.” Haruhi looked out the window.

“Yeah,” she mumbled, “Senpai’s like that.”

[After school]

Hikari stood in front of the Host club doors before bothering to open them.  _I’m going to go in and apologize to Hikaru about yesterday_. She and Haruhi decided that for the sake of the club, she should apologize to keep everyone at ease. Hikari took a deep breath reached for the door when a couple voices stopped her.

“The Host Club is opening soon,” one of the girls said, “I hope that Tamaki-senpai eats the dessert I made for him.”

“I’m going to ask Hiroki-kun for another story,” said another.

“You know what?” said the third, “I think Hikaru-kun is going to ask me to dance the first dance with him!”

“Well, you are the Hitachiin’s best customer,” The first one pointed out

“I really am.” Hikari opened the door quickly and went inside.  _Hopefully they didn’t see me go in_ , she thought to herself.

“Hikari-chan,” Tamaki voice entered through her ears, “You’re late.” Hikari felt agitated by his comment. She looked down at the floor.

“Sorry! I’ll go change.” She walked right past everyone to the back room. She heard footsteps following her.

“Hikari?” It was Haruhi. She pried open the door and slipped in. “What happened?” Hikari recalled what she overheard.

“I told you, Haruhi,” She said. She turned around and smiled, “Hikaru is not a serious guy. He’s not my type.” Hikari decided to leave it at that and went behind the yellow curtain.

“But I told you, that’s just Hikaru,” Haruhi reassured.

“I beg to differ. This girl named Rika is coming  _specifically_  for Hikaru.” She threw her dress over the curtain. Haruhi caught it and folded it neatly before placing it on the table.

“That’s strange,” Haruhi mumbled. She paused. She’d been in this situation too many times the previous year. After all, Tamaki was the most popular host.

“Hikari…are you jealous?” Hikari froze.

_Why would I like a jerk like him_ , she thought to herself,  _He’s the one that kissed my necklace. I didn’t wish for it or wanted it_. She straightened her tie.  _That’s right. I did nothing. He did_.

“I’m not jealous, Haruhi.” Hikari put her hair up and closed her eyes. “Let’s go.”

{The Host Club is now open}

Hiroki handed out more stories to the girls at his table while Haruhi handed out tea

“I’m hoping that I’d get to see you girls at the Cinderella ball tomorrow evening,” Hiroki said. His voice wrapped around the girls hearts, making them sigh.

“Hiroki-kun,” one of the asked, “Do you know who’ll you’ll dance with first?” Hiroki leaned back on his chair and began to think.

“Haruhi,” he said, “how are you handling the girls you’ll be dancing with?” Haruhi placed his index finger on the side of his chin.

“I’m just going to wait until one of them comes up. Then I’ll ask them to dance.”

“That sounds reasonable.” Hiroki turned to the girl and held her hand. “I think that’s the best way to approach it, but if you’re the first to ask, I will be happy to dance with you.” Hiroki felt heat suddenly rising from behind him. He turned around and saw Tamaki standing with a glare full of fire.

“HI-RO-KI!” he enunciated, “WHY ARE YOU COPYING MY CHARMS?!” Hiroki coiled into an arrogant smirk.

“I’m not copying anything,” He rested his arm on the top of his chair. “Maybe it is you who is copying me.” Tamaki grew red with anger.

“MOMMY!” He screamed, “HIROKI IS COPYING ME!” he took out a handkerchief and bit its corner.

“He’s not copying you, daddy,” Kyouya said. Hiroki chuckled.  _The thought of Kyouya-senpai as any sort of parent? Hilarious_. “He’s doing his job. He’s being lyrical.” Tamaki began to sob quietly.

“Senpai, can you stop it?” Haruhi asked, “You’re making a scene again.” Tamaki held his face in shock.

“Not you too, Haruhi!” Haruhi began to walk away, but Tamaki continued to follow him around the room.

Hiroki and his girls watched the show, when his eyes fell on Hikaru and Kaoru. Two girls were sitting there holding each other close, not being able to handle the brotherly love.

“Who’re those two girls?” Hiroki asked.

“Oh, those are Rika-san and Rina-san,” one of them said, “They’re fraternal twins in class 1-B. Ever guy likes them.” she sighed.

“Every guy?” Hiroki questioned with a smile. The other girl nodded.

“I heard that Hikaru specifically asked Rika-san to be the first to dance with him,” she said. Hiroki tilted his head back.

“Is that so?” he smiled. “I think that you three will be the belle of the ball tomorrow.” The three giggled.

{The Host Club is now closed}

“Hiri-chan!” Honey said, “How do I look?” Hikari took down her hair and faced Honey. Honey looked like he jumped out of the Cinderella fairytale, but instead of white colored suit, he wore a fair pink one with extra frills.

“You look a small prince charming,” she answered. As he beamed with delight, she once again thought that she saw little pink flowers floating around his face.

“Really?” he spun around, “What about Takashi?” he asked. Mori-senpai’s costume looked exactly like Honey’s except that the color was dark blue.

“He looks more like prince charming gone wild.”

“That’s the whole point of this dress code,” Kyouya said out of nowhere. Hikari jumped from shock and turned to face him. He wore a similar outfit to the other hosts, but his color was a dark purple.

“And you’re supposed to be the prince who’s as cold as ice?” She guessed flatly. Kyouya smiled.

“Precisely.” Hikari sighed.

“This looks to weird.” Hikari heard Haruhi say. She turned to see Haruhi and Tamaki in their prince uniforms. Tamaki’s was white and Haruhi’s was a dark red.

“Haruhi,” Hikari said, “if you added sharp fangs, you could be mistaken for Dracula.” Haruhi dropped her head.

“Perfect,” she said in a displeased tone.

“Don’t worry, Haruhi.” Tamaki placed his arm around her shoulder. “You’ll change into a princess by the time the bell strikes midnight.”

“No thank you,” Haruhi said.

“Tono, why do we have to wear these goofy things?” Hikaru asked. Hikari saw the Hitachiin twins in the prince dress code. Hikaru was a royal blue and Kaoru was a light orange.

“Don’t be grumpy, Hikaru,” Kaoru said looking in the mirror. “I think that this will bring in more of the girls. That’s what Renge-kun said anyway.”

“Why don’t you try on your costume, Hiri-chan?” Honey asked.

“Alright,” Hikari answered. She went into the back room and started to change. Once she was done, she almost laughed at herself.

“You’re kidding, right?” she shouted as she entered the room. She wore the prince code with the color of dark green. Her hair was tied back with a similar color ribbon to complete the look.

“You look so cute!” Honey said, squeezing his bunny.

“HIKARI!” Tamaki screamed as he hugged her, “You look like a little doll.” Hikari pushed him off.

“How can I look like a little doll?” she asked. “I’m a guy, guys don’t look like dolls.”

“You’re not a guy,” said a bitter voice. Hikari didn’t need to turn around to see who spoke.

“When I look like this, I am. I have to be.”

“Biologically, your not.”

“Well no one’s gonna know,” Hikari said through gritted teeth, “So it doesn’t matter.”

“It does matter.”

“Why? Worried that I’ll steal one of your precious girls?” The host club fell silent. Hikari had no idea where she was going with this, but for some reason those words fell out of her mouth. Doing her best to regret nothing, she stared down her opponent. Hikaru froze and stared at her. His golden eyes turning into fire, gritting his teeth.

“Hikaru…” Kaoru said in a low voice. Hikaru’s eyes grew thin and he ran over to Hikari, pinning her to the wall. Everyone gasped in shock, including Hikari.

“You think you know everything about being a guy?” he yelled, “Well lets see you fight!” He held onto her wrists tightly and placed himself on top of her, giving her no space to move. She felt her wrists becoming sore, gaining a pulse of their own beating at the same rate as her own heart.

“Why aren’t you fighting back?” Hikaru hissed. Hikari felt fear pulse through her body. She struggled and tried to push him back, but she couldn’t. Suddenly, Mori-senpai grabbed both of Hikaru’s hands and threw him back. Hikari’s eyes widen and she took a few deep breaths.

“LET ME GO!” Hikaru screamed. Mori-senpai let him dropped him to the floor. “Too scared to fight? Some man you are.” Hikari, without hesitation punched Hikaru in the stomach once he got up. He began to cough and curled himself into a little ball. Kaoru came by to help him. Hikari grabbed her things and headed towards the door.

“You know what Hikaru?” she said, “I was gonna apologize for overreacting yesterday, but the ball is in your court now.” She turned to face him. “You brought this on yourself the second time round.” She looked at Haruhi.

“I’m changing in the car. I’ll call you when I’m done.” And left. 


	5. The Princes are Giving a Ball—The Slipper and the Cherry Blossoms

Hikari saw Haruhi and Kyouya coming towards her car. She had her costume at hand and passed it to Kyouya.

“I’m sorry for causing such a commotion,” she apologized to him, “but Hikaru had not right to resort to violence.” She was surprised at how professional she sounded.

“It’s alright really. The whole club got on him for overreacting, but you’ve got to be careful with what you say.” Hikari was taken back. _Kyouya-senpai is giving me advice?_  “Hikaru’s been acting strange since he heard about the dance. When he begins to act strange, he becomes lethal.” As he adjusted his glasses, Hikari noticed him staring at her car. She turned and saw Natasha looking in the rear-view mirror putting on make-up. Kyouya didn’t move.

“Kyouya-senpai?” Haruhi asked. Kyouya snapped out of it.

“Sorry. See you tomorrow,” he said. he then turned on his heels and walked away.

“What was that about?” Hikari asked. Haruhi looked in the direction Kyouya was looking in.

“I’m not sure,” she said. The two shrugged and went into the car.

They did they’re homework and had dinner. Haruhi wrapped up Hikari’s wrists telling her the times that Tamaki had hurt himself because of his clumsiness. Once she was done, the two were lying in their beds in the dark. Hikari tried to sleep, but every time she closed her eyes, she saw Hikaru’s eyes glaring at her with so much hatred. _Why would he do that?_

“I’ve never seen Hikaru like that ever,” Haruhi said aloud. Hikari was relieved to hear her voice.

“Yeah, me too.” She felt her heart beating at a fast pace, making her take shallow breaths. Haruhi heard her panting.

“Are you okay, Hikari?” Hikari nodded, but continued to take shallow breaths. She clamped onto her blankets for dear life.

“I honestly thought that he was going to do something worse,” she said out loud, placing her hands on the bandages around her wrists. Haruhi came out of her bed and crawled into Hikari’s.

“The last time he overreacted was last summer,” she said. “Kaoru told me that it was because he didn’t know how to express his feelings…maybe it’s the same for you.” Hikari shook her head.

“Hikaru proved to me that I mean nothing to him.” And with that, the two fell asleep.

[After school]

Hikari and Haruhi arrived at the host club together. When the opened the door, the other hosts were in their uniforms ready to go. The two girls quickly changed and met them outside.

“Listen, my pupils,” Tamaki said, “This night is a very important night.” He held his face as rose petals flew around him. “These girls will be coming to have the most memorable night of their lives. I expect everyone to be on their best behavior.” He shot a glance at Hikaru, who crossed his arms and pouted. “We don’t want to give these princesses the impression that we’re violent people,” he added, specifically saying it to Hikari, who stared at the floor.

“Alright.” He clapped his hands, “Let’s head to the ball room.” They all exited and headed towards the grand ball room. Hikari gasped at the sight. Before her was a huge, marble dance floor that was about thrice the size of her own bedroom. There were pillars on the side to hold up the ceiling, which was so high that Hikari thought it was part of the sky. There were chandeliers hanging, shooting rainbow specs all around the room like a disco ball.

“Are those made out of glass or crystal?” she asked.

“Crystal, of course,” Kyouya answered her. Hikari turned to him. “They’re more expensive than glass. Plus the girls love it more.” Hikari placed her head on the banister.

“But isn’t it beautiful?” Tamaki asked. Hikari nodded.

“It’s beautiful,” she replied. Tamaki held his face.

“You’re so cute!” He placed his hand on his forehead and smiled.

“I’ve got it.” He placed his arm around Haruhi “You’ll be me and Haruhi’s daughter.” The host just stared at him.

“Since when do fathers marry their daughters?” Hikaru asked.

“That’s right,” Kaoru said, “Does that mean that Haruhi is the mother? What about Kyouya-senpai?” Tamaki began to think. Haruhi walked away towards Hikari.

“You see what I mean?” she asked. Hikari laughed.

“I guess Kyouya-senpai is Tamaki-senpai’s brother if you’re the mother.” Hikari said. Tamaki began to swing her around.

“What an excellent idea!” Tamaki screamed spinning her around.

“STOP SWINGING ME AROUND!” Hikari yelled.

“Senpai,” Haruhi said in a stern voice. Tamaki froze. “Put Hikari down.” He lowered her to the floor. “Good. Now let’s make sure everything is ready.” She grabbed Hikari and the two walked down the stairs to the dance floor.

“Thanks for the save,” Hikari said.

“It’s no problem. I know how you feel, and it didn’t look like you were having a good time with it.” Hikari nodded and began to walk on the marble floor.

“This place is so beautiful.” She spread her arms out and spun around with her eyes closed. She pictured her mother and father dancing together, waltzing to the music. Her mother was wearing a pink corset with a lighter pink Victorian dress with white frills at the end of the sleeves that ended at her elbows; her father was wearing Hikari’s prince costume gliding her mother across the floor.

“Hiri-chan!” Honey grabbed onto her hands and spun with her. She snapped out of her world and began to spin at a rapid speed. Laughter escaped through her lips. Honey too. They were both laughing when they heard clapping from above. Kyouya looked down at them.

“Stop spinning around and help set up,” he said to the three adjusting his glasses. Honey, Haruhi, and Hikari ran up the stairs and began to help.

Everything was set when eight o’clock struck. All of the girls began to enter the ball room, wearing their Victorian dresses and gasped at the setting before them. Half of them went to a glass case that held a glass slipper.

“Only one girl can fit into it?” one of the asked.

“I hope that it’s me,” another prayed.

“I want to dance with my prince.” They all squealed with delight. The lights turned off and all of the girls gathered around the stairs. Eight princes entered the room in the darkness. Once the lights turned back on, they bowed. The girls clapped with excitement. Hikari rose and looked out at the girls. It was like a stage. _Mom, dad_ , she said to them, _Watch me tonight. I won’t let you down_.

“Welcome to our third annual dance,” Kyouya announced. The girls clapped once more. Kyouya raised his hands to silence them as he continued, “We’re proud to properly introduce a new member to our club, Hiroki-kun,” he said placing his hand in Hikari’s direction. She bowed and smiled her Hiroki smile. The girls screamed and some even swooned.

“The rules are simple to this ball,” Kyouya explained, “Every princess in this room will dance with the host of their choosing and will try on the glass slipper in the other room. The princess that fits into the slipper will dance with one of the eight princes until the stroke of midnight. Once the clock tower strikes, whomever she chose will kiss her cheek.” Hikari thought that she might need ear plugs, for every girl screamed so loudly that she felt the ground shake under her feet.

“So then, my dear princesses,” Tamaki said, “Let the night begin.” And with that, the orchestra began to play a beautiful waltz. The eight princes walked down the stairs and picked a girl to dance. Hikari noticed Hikaru and Kaoru going to the twins she saw yesterday.

“Jealous?” Haruhi asked. Hikari turned a little pink.

“N-no way, Haruhi,” she whispered. “Besides, my parents are watching me from heaven, so I’m gonna dance my best tonight.” Haruhi smiled.

“Do your best.” And with that, a girl came up to Hikari. She was so red and nervous that she completely avoided eye contact as she walked.

“Hi-Hi-Hiroki-kun…” she stuttered. Hikari changed her voice.

“Would you give me the honor of dancing the first dance with me?” The girl smiled and nodded. Hikari brought her to the dance floor and glided her around as if she weighed nothing at all. All of the girls watched the eight princes dance with each princess. Hikari decided to take a break and grab some food and water. She then noticed Haruhi had a huge plate of food.

“Haruhi,” Hikari asked in Hiroki’s voice, “How much food do you plan on eating?”

“I’m not eating a lot,” Haruhi protested, “I’m trying one of everything.” Hikari looked at the food table.

“That’s a lot of everything.” Haruhi ignored her and continued to look. Hikari danced with many girls and ate a lot of food. When she looked at the clock tower, she saw that it was quarter to eleven.

“No one’s foot fits into the glass slipper yet?” Hikari asked.

“Of course not,” Kyouya said from behind.

“Okay, you’ve GOT to stop doing that!” She shouted. He adjusted his glasses.

“The slipper is fit for one specific person. It won’t fit anyone else.”

“Wait a second,” Hikari began, “You’re telling me that you all know who the Cinderella is?” An arrogant smirk slid onto Kyouya’s face. “Who?” Kyouya snapped his fingers and Hikari was swept off her feet. She was dragged into a separate room and was shoved behind yellow curtains. Her beating heart was racing with the sudden shock. She carefully stood up.

“They got you, too?” Haruhi asked. Hikari looked up. She looked as she has been all night.

“Yeah,” Hikari replied in her normal voice. Haruhi dropped her head.

“I feared that they might do this again,” she mumbled. “Last year, they needed me to dress up as a girl to get this old couple back together, but what’s the excuse this year?”

“That’s a secret that we’re not telling,” Kyouya said through the curtains. “Alright ladies, they’re all yours.” Hikari heard footsteps leaving the room and coming towards the curtains. She noticed Haruhi had a terrified look on her face and was backing up against the mirror.

“What’s wrong, Haruhi?” she asked. Haruhi pointed at the entrance of the curtains.

“Those crazy maids are here,” she shrieked.

“Crazy maids?” Hikari repeated. Suddenly Hikari saw two girls peering through the curtains. From what she could see, they were wearing maid outfits.

“Fujioka-san,” said one of them in a sweet voice.

“Hoshiyama-san,” said the other, but the look in her eyes changed. “Shall we?” Hikari now understood why Haruhi was frightened of them. She crawled up against the mirror with Haruhi praying that they wouldn’t do anything to her. The maids entered and went towards Hikari first.

“Why me?” she cried.

“Because someone requested that you got done first,” answered one of the maids. They took of everything and began to dress her. She felt something being placed around her stomach and tightened at a quick pace.

“Ow!” she screamed, drawing a quick breath, but the maids paid no attention. They placed something over her head which was big and itchy to her. She had to search her way out, but the maids beat her to it. Somehow, and Hikari couldn’t figure out how, each maid grabbed her wrists and pulled them through opening, making her head go through another automatically.

“Okay, you two have to stop doing-” but she couldn’t finish, one of them was doing her hair while the other did her make-up. Hikari found it hard to breathe with powder flying everywhere and something tightly wrapped around her body. The maids suddenly stood in front of a mirror.

“Hoshiyama-san,” they said together, “Behold.” And they stepped aside. Hikari couldn’t believe what she saw. She was wearing a powder blue ball gown. There was a slit in the front that was covered by a white, soft texture against her legs. There were blue frills at the end of her dress and sleeves. _So then the thing choking me…_ she placed her hand on her stomach and felt something hard. _A corset_ , she thought.

“What do you think?” the maids asked together.

“It’s beautiful,” Hikari answered. She couldn’t resist. She spun around and saw her face in the mirror. Her face wasn’t covered in heavy make-up, which made her exhale in relief, and her hair was curled a little with a tiara on top of her head.

“Hikari,” Haruhi said, “You look like a princess,” Hikari turned to her.

“Where have you been?” she asked.

“I tried to escape, but they locked the door.” Haruhi held her friend’s hands. “You look just like your mom, Hikari.” Hikari didn’t know what to say.

“I did some research on your family and saw pictures of them,” She smiled, “You parents would be very proud tonight.” Hikari came up and hugged Haruhi.

“Hoshiyama-san,” One of the maids said, “You can’t go without your gloves and shoes.” They each put a powder blue, silk, elbow-length gloves on her hands, covering the bandages that wrapped around her wrists. The shoes that lay in front of her were blue glittery sandals that would strap around her ankle.

“Thank god they’re only a little high-heeled,” Hikari said as the maids put them on her.

“Now,” they said together, “Off you go!” and they pushed her out the door. Hikari tried to go back in, but it was too late. _Poor Haruhi_ , she thought. She turned around and began to walk through Ouran’s halls.

“I’ve never noticed before,” She said out loud, “that Ouran is such a big school.” She began to wander around for what seemed like ages to her.

“I think I’m lost,” she finally said. “When I was dragged to the changing room I didn’t see where I was going.” A sudden smell filled her nose. She looked up to see if anyone was there. There wasn’t. She followed the scent to a room that appeared to be a small library. She saw that the balcony doors were open, releasing in petals of cherry blossoms into the room.

“That’s what I smell,” she said. She ran over to the balcony and saw millions of trees in full bloom. Cherry blossom petals fell down like pink snow. The moonlight shone brightly and fell upon her as if she were Cinderella herself.

_Mommy, Daddy, I really wish that you were here tonight_ , she thought in her mind. She closed her eyes and let the wind play with her hair. She was about to descend down the balcony stair when a voice stopped her.

“Where do you think you’re going?” it asked. Hikari’s heart began to pound against the corset. She gripped onto the banister.

“I’m going into the gardens,” she said holding her head up high. She heard him chuckle and turned around. Hikaru was leaning against the glass doors with his arms crossed. He was still in his prince outfit.

“What does it matter to you?” she asked. Hikaru didn’t answer. He just looked at her. She saw his eyes scan her like she was some item he was going to buy.

“Can you stop staring at me like that?” She yelled. Hikaru looked back at her and smiled.

“You look cute,” he said. Hikari tried to hide her blush and held onto her wrists.

“You can’t smooth talk your way out of this one,” she said looking over the balcony. He walked towards her and then around her. “Can you just STOP!” she screamed.

“In a sec,” he said, “I just wanted to make sure that this dress fits you well.” Hikari couldn’t think of what to say except, “What?”

“My mother owns her own clothing line and she can make just about any piece of clothing you can imagine.” He ran his finger down her bare back until it reached the dress. “She made all of the dresses for the ball tonight and I wanted to make sure that you’re feminine traits fit the dress.” Hikari felt her face turn completely red and she stepped away from him.

“Th-the dress is fine,” she said a little too quickly. “I’m heading back now.” She walked as fast as she could towards the door.

“ _Giselle_ ,” Hikari stopped in her tracks. “ _You cannot leave the ball so soon_.” Hikari held her necklace. “ _I won’t let you walk out on me again_.” Hikari turned around and saw Hikaru looking right at her.

“Those are lines from my father’s play,” she whispered. Hikaru walked towards her and extended his left hand.

“ _I will only let you go after you dance with me_.” Hikari didn’t know what to do. She was so angry with the way he acted towards her in the past few days, but the lines of her father’s play made her think twice. She lifted her right hand and hesitated.

“Please, Hikari,” he said, “Let me have one dance with you.” She finally gave in and placed her hand in his. He guided her down the steps and into the garden of raining blossoms. Hikari couldn’t help to hear her heart beating in her ears. Once he faced her, she saw in his eyes…herself.

Hikaru placed his hand around her waist and began to dance with her. He danced simple steps that Hikari could easily follow. Throughout the entire dance, he never took his eyes off her. He spun her around and brought her back to him.

“What do you think?” he asked. Hikari took a deep breath.

“Well, there’s really nothing special about you’re dancing steps,” she answered. Hikaru half-smiled.

“Then hold on tight.” He whispered. Suddenly Hikari and Hikaru began to spin frantically around the trees. Cherry blossoms fluttered around her as he guided her through the garden. She thought that her feet weren’t even touching the ground. He spun her and swung her as if she weighed no lighter than air itself and felt her heart fly with joy as he spun her to her own world. Hikari looked into his eyes and noticed that the moonlight was shining on them. _He is so…magical_ , she thought to herself. _I never want this to end_. They continued to dance for what seemed to her another lifetime.

Hikaru placed her extended hand onto his shoulder as he lifted her into the air and spun her. Once her feet touched the ground she didn’t realize how close they were to each other. They were both panting from all the dancing and she could feel his breath on her. The two just stood there. Hikari was trying to figure out what Hikaru was going to do next by looking in his golden eyes, but she didn’t have to wait long.

His arms slid together across her back, pulling her in closer to his body. She let her hands slide down his back until they could feel the heat coming off one another. He brought his head towards her and slowly placed his lips onto hers. His lips were hot as his tongue found hers and gently glided across it, making her skin crawl with delight. She closed her eyes and naturally responded to his playfulness and followed. His lips formed over hers and his arms tightened, bringer her closer. She felt his lips leaving, but brought hers to his, not wanting him to leave. She could tell by the way he was kissing her that he was pleased. He responded in a playful manor.

Finally, she pulled her lips away from his, slowly opening her eyes. He was smiling his triumphant smile and placed his forehead on hers.

“You’re right,” he finally said in a low voice. Hikari gave him a confusing look. He chuckled.

“When you first dressed up like a guy and recited something. You sounded like you’ve been kissed before.” Hikari didn’t respond. “Have you?” he asked. Hikari shook her head.

“Good.” He kissed her lips again and brought his mouth to her ear. “This was my first too.” She felt a chill run down her spin. She let go of him and gently pushed him back.

“So was this all a ploy to take away my first kiss?” she asked. He shook his head.

“I wanted to see if what you said as true.” Hikari shot Hikaru a death glare. “I’m kidding.” He said. “But what you said was true, so it proves you’re an amazing writer.” Hikari couldn’t help but smile. Hikaru was pleased to see that. He walked around her hugged her from behind.

“I also wanted you to dance with me,” he said.

“What do you mean?” Hikari asked.

“When I wanted you to prove that you could dance, I wanted you to dance with me, not Haruhi.” He answered.

“Why?” Hikari asked in total shock. “You injured me the next day and asked someone else to dance with you.” Hikaru placed his chin on her shoulder.

“I didn’t mean to hurt you. That was stupid of me and wrong. The club punished me good, even Kaoru.” He wrapped his hands gently around Hikari’s wrists. “As for the other girl…I wanted to make you jealous.”

“But that doesn’t answer why you wanted to dance with me,” Hikari insisted.

“I wanted to see if you liked me.” Hikari fell silent. “I didn’t know why I was feeling so strongly towards you, especially after I kissed your neck.”

“I thought you kissed my necklace,” Hikari interrupted. She felt his chuckle.

“I wanted you to think that,” Hikaru replied. Hikari’s body temperature rose. “Basically, I wanted to see if you liked me too by dancing with me. I guess it worked.” Hikari didn’t know what to think. She had her own feelings to sort out herself. Hikaru whisked in front of her.

“Shall we go back to the ball?” he asked extending his hand. “I’ll personally escort you.” Hikari gave him her hand again and the two went to the ballroom.

Hikari and Hikaru weren’t seen when they entered, but Hikari noticed the time on the clock tower.

“11:55,” she said. She then remembered what Kyouya said. “Hikaru, who’s Cinderella?” Before Hikaru could answer, the lights darkened. All the girls began to squeal as Tamaki stood under a spot light. He was about to speak when he saw something. Another spotlight turned on and a beautiful girl stood in front of him. She wore a dress similar to Hikari’s but it was all silver. Her long hair was straight down and she wore a flower reef on her head.

“Who is she?” many of the girls whispered to one another. Hikari immediately figured it out.

“Is that -?”

“Yes it is,” Hikaru answered. Hikari saw Tamaki’s eyes absorb all of her beauty and ran into the other room, grabbed the glass slipper, and kneeled on one knee. The princess raised her foot and easily slid it into the shoe.

“She’s Cinderella!” The girls gasped together. Tamaki bowed to her and extended a hand. She gladly took it and the two danced together until the clock struck midnight. Hikari grabbed Hikaru’s hand and squeezed it tightly. _Is he going to kiss her on the lips?_ She asked herself.

“Don’t worry,” Hikaru said, placing an arm around her, “Tono wouldn’t do that.” Tamaki placed his hand on Cinderella’s face, and kissed her check. The crowd screamed with joy and jealousy and he held Cinderella close.

[After the ball]

Hikari had on her regular clothes and waited for Haruhi to change. She took out her phone when someone snatched it out of her hands. 

“Hikaru!” She screamed.

“I’m putting my cell number in here,” he said passing her phone back to her. “I’ll give you a call or text later.” He came over and kissed her forehead. “Bye.” And then he left. Hikari placed her hand on her forehead and blushed.

_I think that I’m putting myself in more danger than I already am_. 


	6. Bunny Love

“Hello?” Hikari called out into the empty third music room. She looked at the clock tower outside the window.

“Fifteen after three,” she mumbled aloud. “Isn’t that considered late?” With no sound still, she closed the door and dropped onto the couch.

“Where is everyone?” Hikari asked aloud. She dropped her head on the soft cushion, “Like hell anyone’s gonna answer.” As if on cue, Hikari’s phone rang. She looked at the name: Haruhi.

“Hey,” Hikari answered, “Where are you?”

“ _Going instant coffee shopping_ ,” she replied.

“If you had told me, I would’ve come with you.” Hikari heard Haruhi laugh on the other end.

“ _It’s okay, really. Hikaru said that he wanted to meet you at the club_.”

“No one is here.”

“ _What?_ ” Haruhi sounded shocked, “ _What do you mean that no one’s there?_ ”

“I mean that there is no one in this room but me, myself, and I,” Hikari corrected. She heard Haruhi sigh on the other end.

“I’ll be quick,” Haruhi promised and then hung up. Hikari took out her notebook and began to write. She noticed a page that Haruhi wrote about the Cinderella ball. Hikari laughed.

[Two weeks earlier after the ball]

“I CAN’T BELIEVE THAT I WAS CINDERELLA!” Haruhi screamed. Hikari stuffed a pillow in her mouth to keep her calm.

“Well can you blame them?” she asked, “You’re dating the prince host, so it’s a perfect role for you.” Haruhi glared at her.

“You’re lucky because you’re host isn’t really anything. He’s a devil.” Hikari turned completely red and threw endless amounts of pillows at Haruhi.

“That’s not the point,” Hikari protested, “I’m not marrying mine.”

“Nor am I.”

“Not yet, anyways.” Haruhi couldn’t counteract it. The two calmed down and were silent for a while.

“Did you enjoy _any_ part of being the ‘belle of the ball’?” Hikari asked. Haruhi placed a proud look on her face.

“Not really,” she answered. “The fact that the shoe was _actually_ made of glass and cut my feet created half of the bad experience.”

“What was the other half?”

“Those crazy maids.” Hikari laughed and handed Haruhi her notebook.

“Can you write down tonight’s ball from your point of view?” she asked. Haruhi took the pencil and paper.

“It’s not gonna be anywhere as good as your writing,” she said.

“That doesn’t matter. I want to know. I know the ball from my point of view-”

“And you weren’t there for the end half because you got kissed,” Haruhi finished.

“That’s not what I was going to say,” Hikari complained, throwing another pillow at Haruhi. “I was going to say that it was…nice.” Haruhi sighed and began to write.

[End of flashback]

“WHERE IS EVERYONE!” Hikari screamed. She was about to head towards the door when she tripped on something and fell on her back.

“Ouch,” Hikari yelped. Her hand felt around her and picked up something.

“A banana peal?” Laughter exploded behind her.

“I’m sorry, Hikari, I know I shouldn’t be laughing.” Hikari stood up and threw the banana peal aside.

“How nice of you, Kaoru, to laugh at me after I fell.” Kaoru wiped the tears away from his eyes.

“That’s usually something Tono or Haruhi does,” he said. 

“I’m not surprised,” Hikari agreed. “When did you get here?”

“Just before you fell,” he answered. Hikari walked towards the couch again.

“Thanks to you and your brother, Haruhi went on a coffee hunt without me.” Kaoru joined her on the couch.

“I actually wanted to talk to you alone.” Hikari was taken back.

“But Haruhi said that Hikaru was the one that wanted to see me.” Kaoru placed his arm on the top of the couch and shook his head.

“Hikaru did say that, but I convinced him to come later.” Hikari gulped. _I don’t think that this will be very comfortable_ , she thought.

“Where’s everyone else?” She asked trying to change the topic.

“Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai are gonna be a little late since they’re coming from Tokyo U. Kyouya-senpai and Tono are gathering information about our next cosplay.” Hikari looked out the window.

“I can’t believe that Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai still come here,” she said. Kaoru agreed.

“Hikari,” he said in a more serious tone, “Can I talk to you about Hikaru?”

_I knew it_ , Hikari thought, _Kaoru is probably gonna be mad that I’m…sorta with Hikaru_. She took deep breath. “Sure.”

“Hikaru and I can be very similar sometimes, but other times, we’re different. Like when we’re with the host club, we’re different, but when we’re out in the open, we’re the same.” He brought his arm down and straightened his back. “Hikaru doesn’t know how to express himself. He doesn’t know how to tell a girl how he truly feels about her. The same thing happened last year…with Haruhi.” Hikari’s chest stiffened.

“Hikaru…liked Haruhi?” she asked.

“He did, but it’s different with you,” he assured, “Don’t worry, he only sees Haruhi as another person now. Unfortunately, you’re his new toy.” Hikari let out a breath of relief.

“But I’m also warning you,” Kaoru continued, “If you do anything to hurt Hikaru…”

“I know,” Hikari said, “Natasha would do the same to Hikaru if he hurt me.”

“Which I bet she almost did,” he replied, “How’re your wrists?” Hikari raised her yellow sleeves. It was still wrapped in a white bandage.

“It’s almost healed, but it still hurts.” Kaoru smiled in relief when there was a crash outside. The two ran towards the front doors. Something came flying through them, forcing Hikari and Kaoru to step back. She saw a high school kid with greasy brown hair trying to stand.

“You’re a scum on the earth,” said a small voice. Hikari looked behind her and saw Honey standing in the doorway with his hands in his pockets. She saw a different look in his eyes…It was more manly than cute. Honey then pointed at his target.

“How dare you try to take that little girl’s bunny!” He screamed in his cute voice. Hikari felt an awkward silence between the two boys. The high schooler made a “tsking” noise and ran out of the room. Honey went back outside and kneeled in front of a little girl. She had her brown hair tied up and she held onto a stuffed animal that looked like a yellow bunny rabbit. Tears were streaming down her face, but Mori-senpai wiped them.

“Thank you so much, Honey-senpai,” she said, her voice choking up.

“It’s okay,” he said with a smile. “I wouldn’t want Usa-chan to get hurt either.” Hikari leaned into Kaoru and whispered, “Is it just me, or are the little pink flowers around Honey-senpai?”

 “It’s the atmosphere around him,” Kaoru answered, “Sometimes it’s there, sometimes it’s not. It just depends on Honey-senpai’s mood.” The little girl thanked Honey again and trotted off down the hallway.

“Who was that?” Hikari asked him. He spun around and smiled.

“She’s Hana-chan,” he answered with excitement. He suddenly yawned and climbed up onto Mori-senpai.

“Takashi, I’m sleepy…” Mori-senpai carried Honey to a couch that had a bunny pillow, blanket, and a canopy covered in bunny prints.

“Brush your teeth, Mitsukuni,” Mori-senpai reminded him. Honey nodded and waddled to the back room.

“Where did that bed come from?” Hikari asked.

“It’s a pointless question to ask.” Hikari looked at the door and saw Haruhi walking in.

“Haruhi, do you need help?” Hikari asked. Haruhi struggled with her two bags of instant coffee.

“N-no thanks,” she managed to say, “I’ll just-” but Haruhi then slipped and fell on her back while Hikari and Kaoru caught the two bags of coffee.

“Are you alright?” Hikari asked. Haruhi rubbed her head.

“Who leaves a banana peal lying on the floor?” she asked. Hikari felt an uncomfortable chill trace her body.

“Oops,” she whispered, glancing over at Kaoru. he smiled as if reading her mind.

A hand dug into her bag of coffee and took out a jar. “Woah, a new brand.”

“Hikaru, put that back,” Hikari scolded, snatching it back. Haruhi grabbed Kaoru’s bag and looked at Honey.

“We’d better be quiet,” she said in a cautious voice. “Honey-senpai is really scary when he wakes up.”

“That’s right,” Hikaru whispered in Hikari’s ear, “He’s also known to have the eyes of a beast, which will make your hair stand on ends” Hikari didn’t seem scared.

“So?” she asked.

“Honey-senpai also has the blood type AB,” Kaoru whispered in her other ear. She shrugged.

“Your point?”

“That’s the same blood type as Kyouya-senpai.” Haruhi finished. Hikari began to understand the fear in everyone’s voice. She cautiously glanced over at the sleeping college student.

“But he’s nothing like Kyouya-senpai,” She protested.

“That’s true,” Tamaki replied, giving Hikari a frightening look. “but if you wake either of them from their slumber, you’ll have the unfortunate privilege to be stared at by the devil and beast.” Hikari stared at Tamaki.

“When did you get here?” SHe asked. He ignored her question and focused his efforts on building a fort to protect himself from the “evil Honey-senpai”. Hikari and Haruhi exchanged a few looks before deciding to head to the snack storage room. Coffee needed to be prepared anyway. Hikari looked around and saw a variety of different sweets and cakes.

“Oh…my…god…” she said in total shock, “Who eats all of these?”

“Honey-senpai,” Haruhi answered. Hikari shook her head in disbelief.

“That little kid eats all of this?” She asked. Haruhi nodded.

“Last year, he had a cavity and Senpai forbade any sweets until the cavity was filled.”

“I guess Honey-senpai didn’t like that idea,” Hikari guessed.

“He really didn’t.” Haruhi sighed as she remembered the previous year. “Mori-senpai blamed himself because he forgot to remind Honey-senpai to brush his teeth.”

“Poor Mori-senpai.” Haruhi contained a laugh.

“Kyouya-senpai loved it when Honey-senpai wasn’t allowed to eat sweets.”

“Why?”

“Because Kyouya-senpai didn’t have to spend the club’s money on sweets.” Hikari couldn’t help but laugh. It took her a while to stop as Haruhi continued to make drinks for the hosts.

Once the coffee was ready, the host members just relaxed. Hikari kept on thinking about that little girl was. _She wasn’t wearing any type of uniform_ , she thought, _she was dressed in normal clothes_.

“I wonder who that little girl was?” Kaoru asked out loud.

“Huh? What little girl?” Hikaru asked after finishing another cup of coffee.

“Honey beat up this bully who was picking on a little girl earlier.”

“Honey-senpai did that?” Hikari asked. She didn’t recall Honey being the one to punch the guy. Then again, she didn’t see the original punch.

“You didn’t know?” Hikaru questioned, “Honey-senpai is from an elite karate family.” Hikari placed her head in her hand.

“There’s so much in this club that I don’t know,” she mumbled, “It hurts to know there’s more to you guys that meets the eye.”

“Don’t worry,” Haruhi said, “I was there once.” Hikari sighed. She looked over to Honey-senpai who turned over in his sleep.

“…Hana…chan…” Hikari, Haruhi, the twins, and the rest of the club all looked at Honey.

“That’s the girl’s name,” Hikari whispered. Kyouya-senpai adjusted his glasses and continued to type on his laptop. Honey suddenly opened his eyes and sat up. He picked up his bunny and held it tight.

“Hana-chan,” He whispered again. Tamaki held his own face. Sweat began to trickle down it.

“Honey-senpai is out to murder a sweet, innocent little girl!” he screamed.

“Senpai, I’m afraid to ask what made you come up with that conclusion,” Haruhi replied. Tamaki interpreted Haruhi’s statement as an invitation to share his thoughts. He began to run around the room yelling out the different theories.

“Mitsukuni,” Mori-senpai mumbled. Honey shook his head.

“I’m fine, Takashi,” he said with a smile. He held onto his bunny tighter. “Let’s have some cake.” He jumped out of bed and went into the storage room of sweets. Hikari looked at Mori-senpai and noticed that he was concerned about his little friend.

When Tamaki dismissed the club, Hikari and Haruhi headed towards Natasha’s car. While they were discussing Honey and Mori-senpai’s relationship, Hikari stopped and pulled Haruhi behind a pillar.

“What’s the matter?” Haruhi asked. Hikari pointed to a tall gentleman that stood a good distance from the car.

“Kyouya-senpai?” Haruhi guessed. Hikari nodded.

“It’s odd,” she said, “I’ve been seeing him here like this for a while now.”

“When did this start?” Haruhi asked.

“Monday,” Hikari answered. “I’m afraid to tell Natasha that some high school student is checking her out.” Haruhi agreed. They stood there until Kyouya finally left. Haruhi timed it.

“From the time we got here…I’d say,” she pondered, “Fifteen minutes.” Hikari made a face.

“Kyouya-senpai is stalking my only family. For that, he must die!” Haruhi placed a hand on her shoulder.

“We’re not sure what he’s doing,” Haruhi said, “In his defense, he could have been waiting for something that took fifteen minutes.”

“I’m not putting Kyouya-senpai on trial, but I have the right to worry.” The two walked towards the car and said their good-byes.

“Say, Natasha,” Hikari said as she entered the car, “I don’t want you to freak out, but there was a kid that was staring at you for a solid fifteen minutes. Or at least, I think he was.”

“Really?” Natasha replied in an intriguing voice, “Did you know him?”

“Yeah, it was Kyouya-senpai. He’s in the host club.” Natasha’s face dimed and she covered it.

“Natasha?” she asked. Natasha swirled around and grinned at Hikari.

“When’s Hikaru coming home with you?” she asked, “I’m _dying_ to meet him.” Hikari blushed.

“I’m not bringing him to that house EVER,” Hikari emphasized. Natasha laughed and began to drive Hikari back to her house.

****

“I’m telling you, Haruhi, every time I bring up Kyouya-senpai, she shuts down.” Hikari plopped down on her bed. “I have no idea why.”

“ _Maybe there was something in her past that involved Kyouya-senpai_ ,” Haruhi suggested.

“We didn’t know that Kyouya-senpai existed until I came to Ouran,” Hikari said. She held the bridge of her nose. “I really hate seeing her like this,” she said. “It’s really depressing.”

“It’ll be okay,” Haruhi ensured. They talked a little longer before they hung up. Hikari was writing in her notebook when there was a knock on her bedroom door. She hid all of her writing books in her closet and straightened her desk.

“Come in,” she said politely. Kira entered her room. She was wearing a black dress the slit across her leg. Her hair was curled and her face was covered in make-up. She opened her purse and took out her phone. Hikari wanted her out of her room, but held her tongue.

“I got a call from your school,” she said, “They’re pleased with your performance there.” Hikari nodded. “They say that you haven’t joined any clubs. Why is that?” Hikari felt a heat wave roll over her body.

“I didn’t think any of the clubs were interesting enough to suit my needs,” she said. Her nervousness caused her shoulders to roll a bit. She held her hands behind her to keep her straight.

“Well not everyone’s a little princess, now are they?” Kira asked in a cold tone. Hikari didn’t react. “What have you been doing then after school? You haven’t been home.”

“I’ve been studying in the library,” Hikari lied, “It’s quieter there after school.” Kira put her phone back in her purse and flicked her hair.

“Do us all a favor and join a respectable club,” she said, “It’s an embarrassment for your father to know that his daughter isn’t doing anything active in her school.”

“I’ll get right on that,” Hikari said as coldly as Kira did.

“Good.” She said and closed her door. Hikari quietly opened it and ran towards the front house window. She saw Kira and Yuuji getting into a limo and leaving.

“They’ll be home late, tonight,” said a maid behind her. Hikari nodded and went back into her room. As soon as she closed the door, she began to scream.

“FATHER!? SHE THINKS HE’S MY FATHER?! AND DOES SHE THINK THAT SHE’S MY MOTHER?!” She shouted. “And who does she think she is telling me to join some respectable club. OPEN YOUR EYES KIRA, THERE ISN’T ONE!” she panted for a moment. “There isn’t a club in that school that’s ‘respectable’. Even our school government’s not right.” Hikari fell onto her bed and screamed more into her pillow, kicking her legs up and down.

Eventually, Hikari’s legs and lungs becoming tired. “I’m gonna shower,” she said out loud. She was heading towards the bathroom when she heard a noise outside. _Was that just my imagination?_ She thought. She walked towards the window and saw Hikaru leaning against her balcony railing. Hikari opened her balcony door, letting in the night air and Hikaru.

“What are you doing here?” She asked looking over her balcony. “And how did you get up here?” Hikaru entered her room, laid down in her bed, and stretched.

“I came up through the tree. It’s a pretty easy climb.” Hikari looked to her left and saw a thick branch reaching towards her cement railing.

“You came in on that?” She asked. Hikaru laughed.

“It’s not as hard as you think.” He jumped off her bed. “You just have to not be afraid of heights.” He climbed on the railing and stood up.

“You have to crawl your way to the trunk of the tree,” he said demonstrating.

“Hikaru get over here, I don’t want you to fall.” Hikaru made it to the trunk, placed his back on it, and smirked.

“You’re worried about me falling?” he asked.

“I don’t want to explain to the happy people here that there’s a dead body under my balcony. That’s why.” Hikaru crawled away from the tree and hugged her from behind.

“You know that you don’t want me to get hurt,” he said. Hikari didn’t respond, but didn’t deny it either.

“Why are you here, anyway?” she asked again. Hikaru walked into her room with his hands in his pockets.

“I had a feeling that you might want some company tonight,” he said. Hikari bit the side of her lip.

“What made you think I would?”she asked.

“Honestly?” Hikari nodded. “I’ve been here for a while.” Hikari blushed.

“Wh-what do you mean ‘a while’?” she asked.

“I mean that I’ve been sitting in your tree waiting for the right moment to make my appearance.” Hikari rubbed her head. _I’m never opening those curtains again_ , she noted.

“I was gonna come in sooner, but then that woman came in,” he added.

“YOU’VE BEEN HERE FOR THAT LONG?” she yelled while punching his arm. Hikaru laughed.

“Yeah, but I was glad that I waited.” Hikari stopped. Hikaru looked into her eyes and ran his fingers through her smooth, brown hair. “These people make you miserable, and you’ve been handling them alone for a long time. I thought that it would be good to have someone come over to comfort you.” Hikari felt as if her head was being smacked with a brick. _Hikaru came here to…and he’s…but isn’t this…_ More incomplete thoughts filled her mind.

“This doesn’t seem like you, Hikaru,” Hikari finally said.

“I know,” he answered, “But I felt that I had to do it. That’s what happens when you like someone.” He kissed her forehead. _Now I can never take that relaxing bath_ , she thought. Hikaru lifted her face, pulled her in, and gave her a comforting kiss.

****

Hikari was still in shock from the night before. Her mind kept on thinking about how Hikaru can now enter her room at his own free will. She must have heard Natasha calling her name, but continued to ignore it.

Hikari snapped out of her own world when she heard a beautiful voice. It was rich and sweet. The sound filled Hikari’s heart with joy and made her forget about Hikaru. _Natasha’s voice_ , she began to think, _is so beautiful_. For the rest of the morning drive, Hikari listened to her mom’s best friend voice.

[After school]  
{The Host Club is now Open}

Hiroki was writing in his notebook when he saw Honey looking not as chipper as he normally was.

“Honey-senpai,” one of the girls asked, “Is everything alright?” Honey shook his head.

“Are bunnies that bad?” he asked them. The girls blushed from his cuteness.

“Of-of course not,” another one said, “Bunnies are the cutest things ever.” That brightened Honey’s face.

“Really?” he asked. The girls nodded and he flew his hands in the air.

“Yay!” he said taking a big piece of cake and eating it.

Hiroki saw Mori-senpai in the corner of his eye. He looked up and saw that his fellow host looked a little concerned.

“Mori-senpai,” he said, “Are you concerned about Honey-senpai?” Mori-senpai looked down at him and back at Honey.

_I’ll take that as a yes_ , he thought to himself. He turned back to look at Honey and noticed that he was still uneasy.

“I wonder if he’s worried about the girl yesterday,” he mumbled to himself.

“What did you just say?” the twins asked together. Hiroki turned on his heels and walked the other way.

“Nothing.”

{The Host Club is now closed}

“Honey-senpai seems really upset about something,” Hikari whispered to Haruhi.

“But what could upset him?” Haruhi asked, “He seemed perfectly fine until yesterday.”

“Maybe it has to do with that Hana girl he was talking about,” Kaoru suggested.

“Mitsukuni,” Mori finally said. Honey put a smile on his face and put his bunny behind him.

“Don’t worry, Takashi,” he assured, “I’m going to get some sweets from the storage room.” He skipped to the storage room doors and went in.

“It’s funny how he resorts back to cake whenever he tries to avoid a subject,” Haruhi pointed out. Suddenly Hikari felt rumbling under her feet. There was a loud motor sound and laughter that poured into the room.

“Not again,” Hikari screamed. Renge rose above the ground on her spinning platform.

“This is perfect!” she screamed. Her eyes began to sparkle. “Honey-senpai is in love with a girl who he’s not aloud to date. It’s truly perfect.” She took out a handkerchief and began to dab her eyes.

“An eighteen year old boy, whose mind is still lost in the world of cakes and bunnies, is upset that his true love is someone who yet knows how to add. IT’S MOE!” Hikari covered her ears from the screaming.

“Renge-kun,” Tamaki said, “What makes you so sure that Honey-senpai is in love with her?”

“Isn’t it obvious?” Renge said. She snapped her fingers and the room darkened. A projector and projector screen lowered into the room. The slide began with a drawn out picture of Honey and Hana-chan.

“They both are short,” she said moving to the next slide, “They both love bunnies,” next slide, “Honey-senpai had  beaten up a high scholar for her, what more do you want?” The projector and screen rose back up into the ceiling and the lights turned back on.

“I must let the moe girls know,” she said clenching her fists. The ground shook again and she receded into it once more. Hikari stared at the floor and gulped.

“I’m surprised that she didn’t notice me,” she said. The smell of rose petals began to fill her nose. She looked up and saw Tamaki under a spot light.

“Are you serious,” Hikari heard Haruhi mumble under her breath.

“This is certainly most tragic,” Tamaki began to say, “Honey-senpai is easy to please, so seeing him in a state of depression is heart breaking to the ladies of this school and to the hosts.”

“Tono,” Hikaru said raising his hand, but Tamaki ignored his calling. He pulled out a dry-erase board and began to scribble on it. Hikari walked next to Haruhi.

“What’s he doing now?” she asked. Haruhi scratched her head.

“He’s probably trying to create a crazy plan to fix Honey-senpai’s problem,” she answered. Without a doubt, she was right. Tamaki had scribbled on the board a plan to help Honey.

“Does everyone understand the plan?” he asked. The twins saluted.

“Roger!” they both said. Kyouya pulled out his notebook.

“Hana-chan has ballet until six,” he said Tamaki clenched his fist and turned to the twins.

“Alright, let’s put the plan into action.” The twins turned around and placed an evil grin on their faces. Haruhi and Hikari gulped down fear as they backed away from them.

“I’ve seen those faces from somewhere,” Hikari whispered to Haruhi.

“Of course you had,” she said, “Those crazy maids have them on all the time.” Hikari thought about it before making the connection.

“Those maids were from them?” she asked. Haruhi nodded. Hikari looked back at them. _Oh no_. Kaoru grabbed Haruhi by the wrists and dragged her while Hikaru lifted Hikari and carried her in the same direction.

“You don’t have to carry me!” she yelled.

“Of course I do,” he said, “your wrists still hurt. I couldn’t drag you like Kaoru can with Haruhi.” Hikari blushed and tried to break away from his grasp. Once she and Haruhi were behind the changing curtains, the maids came in and put them in dancing outfits. Hikari had a tank-top with a loose T-shirt that came off her shoulder. She wore leggings with a white skirt, black dance shoes, and her hair was up in a high pony-tail.

“Huh?” was all Hikari could say. Haruhi groaned at the sight of her in dance clothes. She had on a dance dress with leggings and dance shoes. She wore a wig that made her hair long and wore a sweat band.

“I hate when they use me in their plan,” Haruhi commented. Hikari looked at herself and Haruhi.

“Are they expecting us to dance?” she asked.

“Exactly!” yelled Tamaki. “Hana-chan has ballet. This way, you can sneak in and find the opportune moment to figure out what’s going on with Honey-senpai.” On that note, Hikari and Haruhi were sent to a dance academy not far from Ouran. They snuck in and said that they were going to work with Hana-chan on her Ballet. HIkari couldn’t believe that it worked.

They eventually found her in a pink tutu dancing around the room. Her yellow bunny was placed on a chair in front of her as if the show was put on for it specifically. She danced in such a graceful manor that Haruhi and Hikari were amazed that she was only in elementary school.

“She’s incredible,” Hikari said. She felt a tap on her shoulder and turned around. Haruhi pointed and they saw Honey walking into the room. They hid behind the view window and peeked through the doorway to see what was happening.

“Hana-chan!” he said with a wave. Hana-chan stopped her dancing and waved back. She picked up her bunny and trotted towards him.

“You didn’t have to come again, Honey-senpai,” she said. He smiled.

“Of course I had to. I don’t want those bullies to come and take your bunny again.” Hana-chan returned his smile and giggled.

“Okay, then let me grab my stuff.” She skipped to the other side of the room.

“I’m glad that I met you, Honey-senpai,” she said while she packed. “It’s happy to know that there’s another person who’s like me.” Honey smiled and spun with his bunny.

“Of course. And our bunnies like each other too. We can be best friends forever.” She nodded and skipped her way towards him.

“She’s like him?” Hikari whispered, “What does she mean by that?”

“I’m guessing that Hana-chan is like Honey-senpai…in that she’s eighteen and still loves cute things.” Honey and Hana-chan were leaving the room when Honey spotted Hikari and Haruhi hiding behind the doorway.

“Haru-chan, Hiri-chan?” he said, “What are you doing here?”

“The club was worried about you, so they sent us to spy on you two,” Haruhi said bluntly, “Sorry.” Honey shook his head. The pink flowers rose around him.

“That’s okay. It shows that you’re worried about me.” He pointed to Hana-chan.

“This is Hana-chan. Hana-chan, this is Hiri-chan and Haru-chan.” Hana bowed.

“Nice to meet you,” she said with a smile.

“Bullies have been picking on her from Tokyo U, so I’ve been protecting her until they back off.”

“That’s very honorable of you,” Hikari said. Haruhi nodded in agreement. Honey smiled and took Hana-chan home.

[On the walk back to Ouran]

“So there wasn’t anything that we needed to do?” Tamaki asked in disappointment.

“None whatsoever,” Haruhi confirmed. “You completely overreacted again.”

“Well, at least it made me think about a cosplay we could do,” Kyouya mentioned. Haruhi and Hikari immediately denied it.

“I don’t want to dress like this ever again,” Haruhi said.

“But you look so cute!” Tamaki screamed. As they continued to argue, Hikari looked at Mori-senpai.

“Are you alright with Honey-senpai being with Hana-chan?” she asked. Mori smiled and patted her head.

“He can take care of himself,” he said walking in front of her. Hikaru blew into her ear, which made her jump.

“HIKARU!” she screamed. He laughed.

“Should I come over again?” he asked.

“NO!” Hikari screamed again.

“Come on,” Hikaru pestered, “You know you want me to.” Hikari ran up to Haruhi and ignored his request for the rest of the way back.


	7. St. Lobelia Academy Returns

Hikari was lost in her writing when the class rep. made and announcement.

“All classes will be canceled for the rest of the week due to the Arts festival.” The freshmen scurried with delight. Hikari shrugged and continued with her writing.

“But,” continued the class rep. “Club activities are still mandatory. For those who haven’t joined any, come find us. We have your festival contribution prepared.”

“Are all clubs participating in the festival?” a boy asked.

“Yes, including sport clubs,” The class rep. answered. The boy wasn’t pleased to hear that, but Hikari didn’t mind. _The arts festival, huh?_ She took out a one of her dad’s plays with her mom’s review taped inside it. _Maybe I should suggest this to the committee. They could sell copies, or put it on the stage_. Hikari’s hopes began to build. She held her necklace and continued to write in her notebook.

“Niwazaki-san,” said a stern voice. Hikari looked up and saw a girl standing above her desk. Her arms crossed against her chest and a scowl on her face. Hikari recognized her as the fellow female classmate that got on her nerves. _Oh boy_ , she thought, _This isn’t gonna be good_.

“How’re you enjoying Ouran?” she asked. Hikari straightened her back.

“Ouran is alright. They have a fascinating academic program, the faculty is very knowledgeable, and they have a variety of clubs.” The girl smacked her hand down on the desk. Hikari looked up into her light brown eyes. _She’s mad about something that I really don’t want to talk to a stranger about_ , Hikari guessed in her mind.

“What about the people in this school?” The girl pestered. Hikari carefully chose her words.

“Ouran’s students are intelligent,” she said, “and will surely succeed in their family’s career plans.” The girl giggled.

“Of course, but what about the hot guys here?” she asked quietly.

“I’m not interested in that sort of thing,” Hikari responded calmly. The girl laughed.

“Come come now, Niwazaki-san,” she said, “You know that you can’t lie.” Hikari looked at her again. “Everyone’s been seeing you hanging out with the host club. They’re full of the hottest guys.” Hikari pushed her lips to form a polite smile and pressed her back against her chair.

“What are you trying to get at?” she asked.

“I’m just warning you, if you try to win even one of their hearts over, I’ll be forced to make your life miserable.” The girl’s threatening tone didn’t intimidate Hikari. Instead, she just smiled.

“Believe whatever you want, but you’re over reacting.” She grabbed her bags and was about to leave when the girl stepped in her way.

“I’m just saying, you’ve been getting a little too cozy with them, especially Haruhi-kun and the Hitachiin twins,” she hissed, “We’re watching you.”

“So there’s more of you?” Hikari asked, not at all concerned, “Either way, I don’t care what you think. It’s my business, and that’s all that matters.” She turned around and headed towards the school entrance.

“That girl’s got issues,” Hikari mumbled in a pissed off tone, “Anyway, putting that behind me, I’m going to try to find the committee and give them dad’s play.” Hikari headed towards the theater when she noticed a lot of girls huddled together. They were wearing long, red school skirts and pink T-shirts.

“How odd,” Hikari whispered. She saw the crowd split open and three girls walked out, waving goodbye. The girls wore the same red skirt, but a sailor uniform top. There was a small girl with short, wavy hair, another with really long, wavy hair, and a tall girl that Hikari accidentally mistook for a cross dresser.

“Oh well,” Hikari said, “I’ll head to the club room and let Haruhi know my-”

“My my my, what a cute girl,” said a soft feminine voice. Hikari turned around and saw the girl with long hair placing her fingers on either side of her cheeks. She turned her head behind her and saw that no one was there. _Oh no_ , she thought.

“You’re right, Chizuru,” said the tall girl in a deeper voice, “She has that angelic face.” Hikari looked behind her again. Still nothing. _They’re not talking about me, are they?_

“And she’s so modest,” said the third girl in a sweet voice, “she’s turning around to hide the fact that we noticed.” The tall one walked towards Hikari and lifted her chin.

“You’re a cute one too.” She said looking into her eyes. Hikari began to feel very uncomfortable. Not because a girl was telling her she’s cute, but that what this person was doing sounded familiar to something Haruhi had told her.

“What’s your name, angel?” she asked. Hikari pulled away and bowed.

“Excuse me, but I’m in a hurry,” she said and ran to her school.

As she was running to the third music room, she remembered Haruhi’s story.

“ _There were these three girls from St. Lobelia Girls Academy and they kept on forcing me to join their club. One of them, I thought was a guy, but she’s a girl. They kept on saying how beautiful I was and that I’m a ‘fair maiden’._ ”

Hikari eventually made it to the host club. They were preparing to open, when Hikari burst through the doors, slamming them shut behind her.

“Hikari?” They all said, shocked to see her out of breath from running.

“Um…there’re these girls…from another school…” Hikari began to see fear in everyone’s face, especially Tamaki’s and Haruhi’s. She slid against the door. “…and…” she tried to breathe and talk at the same time, “…they…called…me…’angel’…” She saw Hikaru get angry while Kaoru held onto his neck. Haruhi walked over to Hikari and kneeled down.

“Hikari,” she said, “What did these girls look like?”

“Did they look like this?” the twins asked, holding up a picture of the three girls she saw. She nodded.

“OH NO!” they screamed.

“THE ZUKA CLUB IS GOING TO TRY TO TAKE HARUHI AGAIN!” Tamaki screamed. Honey brought Hikari some water.

“Thanks,” she said to him, gulping the cold water down her dry throat.

“Kyouya!” Tamaki screamed, “How much time do we have to prepare?” Before Kyouya could even answer, the doors opened, pushing Hikari aside. The three girls that Hikari saw stood before her now. Kyouya crossed his arms and smiled at the unwelcomed guess.

“Welcome,” he said naturally. The tall girl only glared at him. She turned to where Haruhi and Hikari were and smiled towards them.

“I see that our fair maiden is acquainted with the sweet angel we met outside,” she remarked. The two host girls stood up.

“I’ve told you already,” Haruhi said, “I’m not going to Lobelia.” The tall girl placed her fingers on her forehead and flicked her hair.

“Sadly, we know that there’s no way to win your heart, fair maiden. But that doesn’t mean that we don’t care. We’re still determined to abolish the host club for your protection so you could fulfill your dream here.” She held Haruhi close. Tamaki became angry and grabbed Haruhi away from her.

“Sorry, but she belongs to the host club,” he said.

“I actually don’t belong to anyone,” she corrected, but no one had seemed to hear her but Hikari. The tall girl, at first, looked angry, but she saw Hikari in the corner of her eye and spun around towards her.

“What’s an angel like you doing in a place full of devils?” Hikari let out a sigh and shook her head.

“Personal business,” she answered.

“Do you have a debt to pay off?” The small girl asked. Hikari shook her head. “Then why are you-” but the tall one placed her hand on her shoulder.

“Let’s not question her, Hinako,” she said.

“Benibara-sama,” Hinako said with stars in her eyes.

“Benio-san,” Chizuru said with her. Benio came up to Hikari and took her hand.

“Sweet angel,” she asked on one knee, “What is your dream here at this school?” Hikari took her hand away from Benio.

“It’s a personal dream that I must accomplish here,” she said. Benio looked shocked.

“Just like our fair maiden,” she said in disappointment. She then smiled.

“Fine, then. The art festival starts tomorrow, we’ve got plenty of time to figure you out.” She went behind and Hikari and kissed her neck. Hikari broke away from her while Hikaru grabbed her shoulder.

“Excuse me,” he said, “I think you better leave.” Benio looked at him and smirked.

“Of course,” she said. Her fellow companions were shocked to hear this. “It’s alright, Chizuru, Hinako. The art festival is two whole days, after all.” Hikari didn’t like the way that sounded. Then, in one swirly motion, the three girls spun their way out of the room.

“Hikari,” Haruhi said, “I’m sorry to say…but I think you’re the one they’re after now.” Hikari dropped her head.

“Perfect,” she muttered. “First there’s the girl who hates my guts and then there’re the Lobelia girls.”

“There’s a girl that hates you, Hiri-chan?” Honey asked. He appeared to saddened by this news.

“Yeah. She says that I should stay away from the host club or else.” She turned to Haruhi. “They even told me to especially stay away from you and the twins.” Kyouya adjusted his glasses and smiled.

“That’s the price you’ve got to pay,” he said. Hikari’s jaw tightened.

“For what?”

“For working secretly as a host,” he answered, “You put everyone around you in jeopardy.” Hikari repeated his final word in utter shock when Tamaki grabbed Kyouya’s shoulder.

“We’ve all accepted the consequences, should that happen,” he said. Kyouya fell silent and the twins began to snicker.

“Do you think that Kyouya-senpai is losing it?” Hikaru asked Kaoru.

“I dunno, “Kaoru answered, “It’s odd for him to allow something emotional to get involved.”

“Maybe there’s something we don’t know,” Hikaru suggested. Kyouya broke his pencil.

“Yeah, especially when recently, he’s been-” Kyouya grabbed the twins by the shoulder and gave them the devil glare. The twins’ faces turned white and they released a silent scream. Kyouya picked up his notebook and took out another pencil.

“Excuse me,” he said as an apology. Hikari and Haruhi looked at each other, praying that they never have to worry about seeing Kyouya’s devil eyes.

[Day one of the Art Festival]

Hikari went to the theater again and tried to find the drama teacher. According to the head of the committee, that was her person to talk to about her father’s play.

“He said that I would find her here,” she said quietly. Once she reached the office, she saw a sign that said that she was out.

“Oh man,” Hikari groaned, “This is the only free time from the host club that I’ve got.”

“So you’re working with the host club too, angel?” Hikari felt and electric shock run down her spine. She turned behind her and found the Lobelia girl cornering her against the door.

“That’s none of your business,” she said trying to walk by them, but Benio held her arm out and took the play that she was holding.

“ _Dancing Under the Silver Moon_ ,” she said, “by Hoshiyama Takumi.” Her eyes began to tear.

“Hoshiyama-san,” she said in a dramatic tone, “is the only respectable man in this world.” Hikari was shocked to hear this.

“Why?” she asked, “Do you have something against regular men?” Benio struck a pose.

“Men are the kind of people that try to hurt women. They don’t feel as much as we do. They only think about physical strength.” Hikari wanted the conversation to end there. She took her play from Benio and tried to leave again.

“Why are you interested in him,” Benio asked. Hikari turned to Benio and gave her a stern look, like the one Kira and Yuuji would always give her.

“That is none of your business.” The three girls stepped back. They were shock in the sudden transformation. “Now if you excuse me, I have other engagements to attend to.” And with that, she left.

Hikari entered the Host club and went straight into the back room to change. _I swear, those girls are so closed minded_.

“Another Zuka club encounter?” said a deep voice beyond the curtains. Hikari held her breath. _I DON’T WANT HIKARU HERE AND NOW_ , she screamed in her head, _I NEED HARUHI!_

“Are you in there?” he asked. Hikari forgot that she hadn’t said anything yet.

“Y-yeah,” she stuttered out, “I’m just getting ready for the club to open.”

“I know.” Hikari heard him walking around before he spoke again.

“Did you see those girls again?” he asked.

“I didn’t want to see them, but they cornered me in the drama room,” she answered.

“They cornered you? In the drama room?…Why were you in the drama room?”

“Because I was going to give my father’s play to them.” Hikaru was able to sense that she was annoyed.

“Are they bothering you?” he asked.

“Of course they are,” she said in an obvious tone. “In what universe do you think that-” but she didn’t have a chance to finish. Hikaru came into the changing room and held her close to his chest. Even through the Ouran button down shirt, Hikari felt his warmth wrap around her skin.

“I don’t want that girl ever touching you again,” He said quietly. “When she kissed your neck, I was ready to throw her out of my sight.” He held her tighter. Hikari shut her eyes as he gently kissed the spot that Benio had placed her lips on.

“If they do anything to you,” he said, “Let me know.” He let her go and left her changing room.

{The Host Club is now Open}

Hiroki and Haruhi were helping out handing out tea when Tamaki exploded from his table.

“Senpai,” Haruhi said, “You can’t explode like that. You’ll scare the whole school.” Hiroki sat next to one of Tamaki’s girls.

“Are you alright?” he asked. She blushed and nodded. Hiroki smiled.

“I’m glad to hear that. By the way,” he leaned in a little closer, “What made him explode like that?”

“We were just telling him how wonderful those girls from the Lobelia Academy are, especially the girls in the Zuka club,” one of them said. The girl that blushed nodded.

“The tall one is super sweet,” she said, “She said that I look cute enough to eat.” Hiroki forced himself to smile.

“I’m happy to hear that other people are complementing your beauty.” All of Tamaki girls began to scream with delight.

{The Host Club is now Closed}

“That’s it!” Tamaki screamed, “We must take action now!”

“Senpai, I think you’re overreacting again,” Haruhi said, but he didn’t seem to hear.

“If those girls are trying to go against the host club, then we must fight back.” He pointed to Kyouya.

“Kyouya, order our girl costumes from last year.” Haruhi suddenly began to laugh.

“What’s so funny, Haruhi?” Hikari asked.

“You should have seen them…last year…when they looked like girls,” she said laughing in between. Hikaru and Kaoru pouted and glided their way towards Tamaki.

“Tono,” They both said, “Is it necessary that we cross dress again?” Tamaki pointed at them and placed his other hand his hip.

“It is very necessary that we do this again. They will try to get rid of our club, our family. I’ll never allow them to do that.” The twins sighed and sat on the couch, Tamaki was insulted and began to throw another fit, Mori-senpai and Honey ate cake and tea, and Kyouya started to type on his computer. Haruhi and Hikari, on the other hand, began to wonder if the host club would be abolished, since they didn’t seem to be as “united” as Tamaki thought.

[Day Two of the Arts Festival]

While catching her breath from running from the club to the theater, Hikari saw a sign that said: _Now Showing: Dancing Under the Silver Moon. _ Hikari’s mouth fell open.

“OH MY GOD!” she screamed, jumping up and down with joy. She ran inside to find the head of the Drama department sitting in her office. She wore her hair up in a bun, but wore a stylish outfit…that was “in” about ten years ago. Despite her taste in clothes, it seemed to bring out her personality even more to Hikari. After taking a deep breath, she knocked on the open door.

“Yes, yes, come in,” she said. Hikari walked in and held her hands behind her back.

“Excuse me ma’am,” she said. When the teacher looked up, her face began to glow.

“I was told that you might be coming by,” she said with joy. Hikari became confused. The teacher stood up and took her hand. “These charming girls told me about a play that you were going to suggest, and I was completely moved when I read the script. I knew once I closed that book that it must be put on stage.” Hikari felt her heart flip with excitement. Her father’s show was going to be performed in front of many schools. She couldn’t wait.

“Who’ll be performing?” Hikari eagerly asked.

“Well, it’s a little odd, but I know the audience would love them.” She guided Hikari to a room that said “Dressing Room”. “It’s an all girl cast.” As she turned the door knob, Hikari regretted asking. She saw Benio, Chizuru, and Hinako getting ready for the big performance.

“I was lucky enough to have the Zuka club perform it. They were the only people who memorized the script for me in time.” She leaned in closer, “And they recommended that they put this production on.” She clapped her hands together and laughed. Hikari’s stomach began to turn.

“What do you think?” the teacher asked. Hikari looked at her, and then to the Zuka girls.

“Umm…” she began, “It’s defiantly a twist.” She tried to find something else to say. “Who, may ask, is playing who?” The teacher laughed while the three other girls vanished into the dressing room.

“Hinako is playing Giselle’s younger sister, Chizuru is playing Giselle’s mother, and Benio-san is playing Sir George Martin.” Hikari let out a sigh in relief that none of these girls were playing the two leading roles.

“Unfortunately,” the teacher began, “we had to change the script a little.” Hikari’s heart stopped.

“What?” she asked.

“Well, the girls thought that it would be better for Giselle to stay and marry Sir George rather than running off with John Knight.” Hikari felt her blood boiling.

“You can’t just change the script like that,” she protested, “The writer would never want that.”

“Maybe that’s so,” the teacher agreed, “But he’s dead now, so it doesn’t really matter.” Hikari heard her blood rising to her ears, making her body become hot with anger.

“They’re the two main characters,” she screamed, “they prove that love conquers all, not marry for money.” The teacher shrugged.

“I would have loved to work on it, but the show must go on. So you must make do with what you are given.” Hikari had had enough. She excused herself and was about to leave, when the teacher grabbed her shoulder.

“Where do you think you’re going?” she asked politely.

“Back to my club,” Hikari answered coldly. The teacher laughed.

“My dear, do you know who’s playing Giselle?” Hikari rolled her eyes.

“I’m scared to ask,” she said. The teacher placed both her bony hands on her shoulders and pointed her towards the dressing room.

“You are.” And with those two words ringing in Hikari’s mind, she was pushed into the dressing room of despair.

[Meanwhile, in the host club room]

“Hey Haruhi,” the twins asked, “Where’s Hikari?” Haruhi shrugged.

“She said that she was going to talk to the drama teacher about her father’s play, but she said that she’d be back when her break was over.”

“Hiri-chan has to be here soon,” Honey said, “We can’t open without her.” Mori nodded.

“Maybe she was asked to leave Ouran,” Tamaki dramatically stated. Haruhi smacked his head with her fist.

“Stop thinking ridiculous thoughts, Senpai,” she said.

“But where could she be?” Kaoru asked. Haruhi shrugged. She noticed that Kyouya had wandered to the window and adjusted his glasses.

“Kyouya-senpai,” she began to say.

“They’re doing a sudden production of _Dancing Under the Silver Moon_ ,” he said. Haruhi smiled.

“That means that they’re performing her dad’s production,” she said. Kyouya turned and looked at her.

“The Zuka club is performing the leading roles,” he said. Everyone in the host club screamed with shock. Kyouya went to his laptop and began to type.

“According to my data,” he began to say, “The Zuka club suggested that they put on Hikari’s dad’s show. They even convinced the head of the drama department to change the script to their advantage.”

“What do you mean ‘to their advantage’?” Haruhi asked.

“I mean that the Zuka club didn’t like the leading male, John Knight,” Kyouya answered. Hikaru grew stiff. “They changed it so that the leading female, Giselle, married Sir George Martin, a wealthy man who can offer her anything she desires. He also has a tendency to blackmail and threaten people to his advantage.”

“But the play isn’t supposed to be like that,” Haruhi interjected. Kyouya leaned back and stared at Tamaki. He was standing in total shock, the color in his face turning white.

“THAT’S IT!” Tamaki screamed in anger. “We must fight back now. The host club exists to make every young lady happy. And even though Hikari works with us, she deserves happiness too.” Haruhi was touched by his words.

“So,” Hikaru said clenching his fists, “What’s your plan?” Tamaki smirked.

“Follow me.”

[Back stage]

 _I can’t believe that they made me do this_ , Hikari thought in her mind. _If they hadn’t threatened me like that, I wouldn’t be in this mess_. Hikari thought about Benio’s words.

“ _We know that you’re working for the host club as a gentleman. Because of your natural acting ability, we’d love you to perform with us. But if you decline our generous offer, then we’ll tell the whole school that this so called ‘Hiroki’ is a fake. Many young ladies would be disappointed to hear this right?_ ” Hikari tightened her jaw at that memory. Benio, Chizuru, and Hinako joined Hikari back stage. All three were covered in heavy make-up.

“Sweet angel,” Benio said, “You hurt us by not wearing any stage make-up.” Hikari crossed her arms and legs and stared ahead.

“The deal was that I performed, not that I was to change the appearance of my face.” Benio kneeled down on one knee and took Hikari’s hand.

“Ah, sweet angel, your personality will shine tonight. I cannot wait for the big finally scene.” Hikari took her hand away and left them.

“Considering the fact that I haven’t even seen the script,” Hikari said aloud, “I have no idea what she’s talking about.” Hinako appeared out of nowhere in front of Hikari telling her that the show was about to begin. Hikari guided herself to the stage and began to perform.

The performance started off normally…except that any scene that normally had John and Giselle were switched to George and Giselle.

 _I’ve got an idea_ , Hikari thought, _Maybe I’ll just change my lines on the spot and escape from this insanity_. But the thought of Benio’s threat crept in her mind. She bit her lips together and continued with the show.

Finally, the ball room scene had come. Hikari wore a beautiful pink dress with her hair curled up into a bun. She was about to enter when the stage went completely black. A spot light turned on and lit two people: Tamaki and Haruhi. Hikari felt the atmosphere become less tense. _I’m saved_ , she thought. Benio was shocked to see the two on stage together.

“Wh-who are you?” she asked. Tamaki chuckled.

“Why, how could you forget?” He said, “We’re Giselle’s parents.” Benio didn’t lose her character, but Hikari did. She slouched over and smacked her head with her hand. _Oh-no_ , she thought.

“Of course,” Benio said, “Your other daughter lies within the crowd.” She pointed to Hinako.

“But where’s Giselle?” Tamaki asked. Benio looked at Hikari (who was offstage) and extended her hand.

“Of course, the sweet Giselle is here,” she said. Hikari entered, following on as she was told. Benio took her hand and she bowed for her.

“Our sweet daughter, Giselle,” Tamaki said placing his hands on her shoulder. “I thought that you hated Sir George.” Hikari’s eyes widen. _Is her trying to get the script back in order?_

“Of course she never hated me,” Benio said triumphantly. She placed her arm around her waist and stroked her cheek. “We’re secretly lovers.” The whole audience gasped.

“No, Benibara-sama,” many of the girls screamed. Hikari pushed Benio back and took down her hair.

“ _I never loved you”_ she quoted, “ _There’s only one person I’ve loved, and that’s John Knight._ ” Benio smiled and clapped her hands.

“But you see, my sweet Giselle, when your secret was revealed, Mr. Knight wasn’t there to protect you, now was he?” Hikari knew that those lines were to remind her of her threat. She ran up the steps set on stage, Benio chasing after her. She was about to speak, but Benio grabbed her wrist. Hikari swallowed down her pain.

“You will marry me, Giselle. Leave those god forsaken men and come with us.” She lifted Hikari chin and came down to her ear that was facing the audience.

“I will take away your first kiss, as I have tried to do to the fair maiden.” Hikari remembered what Haruhi told her and tried to break away. _I’m not letting this girl kiss me,_ she said repeatedly in her mind. Suddenly, Hikari’s wrists were free, and Haruhi stood behind Benio. 

“ _I won’t let you have her, Sir George_.” Hikari’s heart began to beat fast. Hikaru stood between her and Benio. He wore what appeared to be a pirate outfit. Hikari almost fell backwards.

 _John knight doesn’t look like a pirate_ , she thought. Haruhi got Hikari’s thought and walked back to Tamaki. Hikaru adjusted his hat.

“ _Giselle is mine, and only mine. No one can have her but me_.” Benio laughed.

“How can she be yours when she’s just shown to the royal court,” Benio said extending her hands towards the audience, “that her love was for me?” Hikaru smirked. He grabbed Hikari with one hand and lifted her legs with the other. He told her to wrap her arms around his neck, which she did. Without hesitation, Hikaru jumped. Hikari felt her stomach rise into her chest and her heart in her throat. She placed her head on his shoulder, containing a scream. Once Hikaru hit the ground, she looked up.

“ _How can you do this to our precious daughter?”_ Tamaki recited, Hikaru took Hikari’s fingers and held them towards his lips.

“ _I haven’t done anything wrong or illegal,”_ he said, “ _I’ve only followed my heart.”_   The girls in the audience squealed with delight and the curtain fell. Benio, Chizuru, and Hinako blocked off the exit.

“We’re not going to let you go,” Benio said, “We’re going to get rid of your club once and for all and take you to Lobelia.” Hikari stepped forward.

“Just stop,” she said. The three looked shocked. Hikari continued.

“Stop trying to get rid of the Host Club. If people wanted it gone, they would have done so. So they’re nothing special like the ‘Zuka Club’ to you, but to other people, they’re special. I’ve joined this club at my own free will and I don’t intend to leave them. So you’ve got to stop trying to force people to join your club.” Everyone remained silent. Benio’s eyes were widened and then she struck a dramatic pose.

“You’re right,” she said, “I’m terribly sorry, I tend to stay in character and inherit some of their habits.” Hikari nodded. She knew that Sir George loved to threaten and blackmail people.

“Then leave me and Haruhi alone, and stop trying to abolish the host club.” The three girls stood up and Benio laughed.

“Impossible. We will abolish the club and we’ll try to bring you Lobelia. But we’ll do it the right way.” And with that, they vanished.

[Back in the club room]

“Hikari, are you alright?” Kaoru asked. Hikari looked away from the window and gave a weak smile.

“I’m fine, Kaoru.” Kaoru sat down next to her and grabbed her hands.

“You know, if you ever need someone to talk to, you can talk to me.” Hikari blinked. “I know that I’m Hikaru’s brother and we’re very similar, but I’m a little more reasonable than he is.” Hikari looked down, and then back up again.

“Thanks, Kaoru,” she said, “I’m just mad that my dad’s production turned out to be a total disaster. I tried to recite the lines as best as I could and even Hikaru, Tamaki, and Haruhi tried their best to stay in character, but the fact that Benio-san kept threatening me and changed the script made me mad.”

“That wasn’t like her,” Haruhi interrupted. “This is a new side to her. But as Kaoru said, we’re here for you. The whole club is.” Hikari felt her that her heart was at ease.

“Alright then,” Tamaki screamed, “Let’s head out to the beach next weekend!” Hikari and Haruhi froze.

“Yay!” Honey screamed.

“I can arrange for us to stay in my villa again,” Kyouya said scribbling down his thoughts.

“And this time,” Hikaru began to say. Kaoru stood up and held Hikaru’s hand.

“Haruhi and Hikari have to wear a bathing suit that was designed by our mother,” he finished. Tamaki’s eyes sparkled with delight while Hikaru’s eyes said something else, like they hungered to see Hikari’s bare skin. Haruhi and Hikari looked at each other, ran to their belongings, and ran out the door.

“I hate this,” Haruhi said, “I can’t stand another beach field trip.” Hikari laughed

“I’m not looking forward to this either, but you know what?” She walked in front of Haruhi, her school bag behind her back. “I know that I can be myself when I’m with the host club, which is all I really want.” Haruhi gave a kind smile and stretched.

“Well then prepare yourself,” she said, “It’ll be a long overnight experience.” 


	8. Hikari cries—The Truth is Told

The temperature rose outside indicating that summer was approaching. Soon, the students would be on summer break. A few weeks had passed since the Lobelia girls came for the arts festival. Hikari’s heart filled with hatred towards them. Not because of the fact that Benio was trying to kiss her and take her away from Ouran, but because they ruined her dad’s play. Every time that she saw the script of  _Dancing Under the Silver Moon_ , she would remember that dreadful day.

Luckily, their trip to the beach was postponed due to some mysterious circumstance that Kyouya and Tamaki were forbidden to say. Hikari couldn’t be bothered with the thought of going to the beach…with six boys in a bathing suit. That would be too embarrassing for her.

As she tried to knock the idea out of her head, she accidentally crashed into another person. Hikari was about to apologize, until she knew who it was.

“Ah, Niwazaki-san, here for the host club again?” She asked. Hikari stood up and brushed the dust off her uniform.

“It’s none of your business,” Hikari replied. She was about to enter the third music room when the girl grabbed her shoulder.

“I warned you not to go anywhere near them.” Hikari looked deep into her eyes. She was searching for the number one reason that this girl was bothering her with her presence.

“Are you perhaps jealous?” Hikari asked. The girl’s eyes filled with rage.  _I guess I guessed correctly_ , she thought proudly to herself. The girl was about to scream with anger when the door opened from behind Hikari. A hand pulled her in and the door closed shut. Hikari looked up to see Mori-senpai carrying her far away from the door.

“Thanks, Mori-senpai,” she said as he placed her down.

“What was that about?” Haruhi asked. Hikari dropped her head.

“That girl who threatened me when the arts festival began found me and threatened me again,” she said, “I feel that I’ve been getting a lot of those.”

“That’s because you work too hard,” Kaoru said.

“And you’re living with crazy people,” Hikaru added.

“And Hiri-chan has to keep her writing a secret,” Honey said in third person (for some reason).

“It sounds like you need a break,” Haruhi said. Hikari sighed and fell onto the couch.

“I wish there was some way to get her off my back.” Suddenly, there was an evil laughter that began to fill the room. It sent a shiver down Hikari’s spine. She noticed that Tamaki turned pale, the twins hugged each other tightly, Honey climbed up on Mori’s shoulders, and Kyouya was…Kyouya. Hikari looked at the front door and noticed that it had changed its shape. It looked like an old, creepy door that had carvings that scared people half to death. It slightly opened and a guy with oily black hair peeked through. Hikari wondered why he was using a cat puppet that would probably forever haunt her in her dreams.

“I hear that someone wants someone else out of the way,” he said in a voice that sent many shivers down Hikari’s spine. The puppet began to move in a funny way, making her cling onto the nearest pillow near her.

“Is that right, Beelzenef? I believe that we have some cursed things in our Black Magic Club.”

“Ne-Nekozawa-senpai,” Tamaki said with caution, “Can you come back another time?” Nekozawa-senpai chuckled an evil laugh.

“If that’s what you wish for, Suou-san.” He was about to close the door, when Kaoru opened the door and Hikaru flashed a flashlight at Nekozawa-senpai. He screamed like the wicked witch from the west and ran away. Tamaki screamed and began to shake with fear.

“Why did you guys do that?” he asked. The twins shrugged.

“We were bored.” Tamaki began to pull on his hair.

“DO YOU KNOW THAT YOU MIGHT CURSE THE CLUB FOREVER NOW?” He asked. The twins shrugged again and looked over at Haruhi and Hikari. Suddenly, a thought entered their mind.

“Hey,” they both said. The two girls looked over.

“Remember after the Lobelia encounter,” Hikaru began.

“We were going to go to the beach?” Kaoru finished. Hikari swallowed while Haruhi tried to remember. Once she did, Hikari noticed fear in her eyes. The two looked at the twins and shook their heads.

“Well we remembered,” they said together. They grabbed the two girls and led them to the back room. Inside were rows and rows of different bathing suits to choose from.

“This again?” Haruhi protested. The twins laced their hands together.

“The first time we were able to see Haruhi in her bathing suit, Tono gave her a huge sweatshirt to cover her bare skin,” Hikaru began.

“The second time,” Kaoru picked up, “Tono invited our customers to join us. Therefore, we weren’t able to see Haruhi in her cute bikini that we gave her.” Hikari noticed that Haruhi was not enjoying this at all.

“It’s okay, Haruhi,” she said, “I’m sure that there’s some way for you to be comfortable at the beach.”

“That’s what we’re saying,” The twins said together. They stepped back and showed the different selection of bathing suits.

“Can’t I just wear shorts and a T-shirt?” Haruhi asked. The twins shook their head.

“Here, I’ll help pick one out for you,” Hikari offered.

“Fine,” she said, “I trust your judgment better than theirs.”

They began to look around for a bathing suit that would be right for Haruhi to wear.  _Considering Haruhi’s structure, we don’t want anything flashy or sexy. Something that can show who Haruhi is. Something like…_  Hikari saw a bathing suit that fit her description. It was a tankini with thick straps over the shoulder. It was cut as if it were made for a little girl: not to reveal much cleavage. It was frilled until it ended at the hips, which was where Hikari saw a frilly skirt for the bottom half.

“And the color of red, orange, and yellow is perfect for Haruhi’s personality,” Hikari said aloud. She waved her hand and began to call out Haruhi’s name.  _This place is like a maze_ , she thought to herself. Haruhi eventually found her.

“What do you think of this?” Hikari asked her. Haruhi looked at it. “I know it’s not idealistic, but it doesn’t reveal much, it’s comfortable, and the colors are great for your personality.” Haruhi lifted the tank top of the bathing suit and saw another plane yellow tank top under it.

“I didn’t notice that,” Hikari said, “I think that this extra piece made it perfect for you.” Haruhi stared at it for a long time before speaking.

“Let me at least try it on,” she said. Hikari nodded in agreement. “You’re just as excited as the twins are,” Haruhi pointed out. Hikari shook her head.

“No, I’m just trying to save you from the suffering. You should have seen what Hikaru and Kaoru picked out.”

“I know,” Haruhi said in a displeased tone, “It’s the pink bikini with frills, right?” Hikari smiled.

“Something like that,” she said. After minutes of rustling, Hikari was allowed to see.

“I’m sorry to say, Haruhi, but that bathing suit is perfect for you.” Haruhi looked at herself.

“I dunno,” she said doubtfully, “Isn’t the skirt supposed to cover more?” Hikari shook her head.

“It’s easier to swim when your legs are bare,” she said.

“But the guys have the option of wearing long shorts,” Haruhi protested.

“Yes, but guys also have upper body strength. Therefore, they use their arms in the water.” Haruhi looked at herself some more, then at Hikari.

“Aren’t you going to find a bathing suit?” she asked.

“Do I have to?” she asked. Haruhi began to pout.

“If I’m doing this, you’re doing this,” she said. Hikari shrugged.

“Alright, alright,” Hikari said leaving the dressing room. When she did, she saw the twins looking at her with an evil grin on their face.

“Hikari,” Hikaru said, “May I suggest a bikini for you?” Hikari shook her head in fear about what Hikaru might do.

“Now now, Hikaru, let Hikari choose her own clothes,” Kaoru said in her defense. Hikaru placed a pouted look on his face.

“Fine,” he said, “But under one condition.” Hikari suddenly found herself in the same position that she was in when Hikaru first held her. He went behind her, placed one arm around her waist while his other hand lifted her chin.  _Why is Hikaru doing this!_  Hikari screamed in her mind.

“My one condition is that you pick a bathing suit that fits you feminine features,” He purred in her ear. Hikari felt her face turn completely red as she gently pushed him away.

“I know that,” she said walking through the maze.  _I really wish that he wouldn’t do that._  Hikari began to walk through the maze thinking about what kind of bathing suit would be best.

“Well,” she said aloud, “A bikini sounds good, but I don’t want one that reveals a lot. I’ll be surrounded by six boys.” That thought made her body tremble for a moment.

At the corner of her eye, Hikari saw a bikini that fit her description: It was a light blue with green at every rim of the suit. It had two solid straps over the shoulder; showed a little more cleavage than Haruhi’s, but she could manage that. The bottoms were simple boy-cut shorts that matched the top. She took it, tried it on, showed only Haruhi (since she forced Haruhi into this), and concealed it from the rest of the club. Hikaru and Tamaki were not pleased by the decision.

“I wanna see Haruhi in her bathing suit,” Tamaki said rolling around like a little kid. Hikaru just crossed his arms and pouted. Kaoru laughed.

“Tono, I thought that you never wanted your daughter to show her bare skin to others until she was married.” Tamaki stopped rolling and rushed over to Hikari.

“Of course,” he said, “I will not allow any young gentleman to lay his eyes on my precious daughter.”

“Since when was Hikari your daughter?” Hikaru asked.  _Yeah, I wanna know why too_ , Hikari thought.

“It was decided before the Cinderella ball,” Tamaki said, “Haruhi is now your mother, I your father, Kyouya your uncle, and the rest of you my children.” Hikaru rubbed his chin.

“It would be odd if one of your sons were dating your precious daughter,” he said. Hikari shot a glare at him, but he avoided it. Tamaki froze.

“So Tono doesn’t mind Haruhi showing off her bare skin?” Kaoru asked. Tamaki ran towards her and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“She’s my wife,” he said, “Of course I don’t mind.” Hikari could feel Haruhi’s mental vibes screaming “I’M NOT YOU WIFE!” and “GET ME OUT OF HERE!”

“Tamaki-senpai,” Hikari said trying to think of a way to get Haruhi out of his clutches. “Where is this beach that we’re going to?”

“We’re going to my villa in Okinawa,” Kyouya said, “We did so last year.”

“Kyou-chan has a private beach too,” Honey said, “There lots of shells to dig up.” Mori-senpai nodded.

“So when do we go?” Hikari asked. Tamaki finally let Haruhi go and spun around.

“We’ll let you know in advance,” he said.  _I don’t like that sound of that_ , Hikari thought.

[The Friday that break begins]

“I guess we never got on that beach trip,” Hikari said to Haruhi as the two left the school.

“I’m glad,” Haruhi said with relief. “I really don’t want to go to the beach with them again, even if it was for an overnight trip.” Suddenly, Hikari felt herself being picked up. She tried to look behind, but the voices spoke for themselves.

“Target,” said Hikaru.

“Captured,” Kaoru finished. Haruhi and Hikari looked in fear. A long, black limousine pulled up towards them.

“Why this again?” Haruhi cried. The tinted window rolled down and Tamaki appeared.

“Good, take them away.” The twins saluted and dragged them away.

Hikari and Haruhi were pushed into another limousine that lacked seat, but had lots of clothing instead.

“This is a large limo,” Hikari said in amazement. Haruhi grabbed Hikari’s shoulder and pointed into the darkness ahead.

“ARE YOU KIDDING ME?” Hikari screamed. The maids appeared and started to dress them.

[At the beach Saturday morning]

Hikari and Haruhi stepped out of the limousine in their bathing suits and cover-ups. Hikari had a simple, long off-the-shoulder light blue and green dress, so it matched her bathing suit. Haruhi had a similar dress with different colors and the sleeves were on her shoulders.

“I can’t believe that they did this,” Haruhi said in disappointment. Hikari didn’t respond. She was looking at the beautiful beach that was before her. A clear blue ocean that sparkled from the sun’s reflection, the soft white sand under her feet, a cool breeze bringing some of the ocean water against her face.

“Hikari?” Haruhi asked. Hikari turned to her, still in a daze from the scenery. “Have you ever been to the beach before?” she asked. Hikari nodded.

“Last time I was at the beach, I was with my parents. The Niwazaki family hates beaches and think that they’re a waste of time.” Haruhi followed her gaze at the ocean.

“Yeah,” she said in agreement, “It’s always a beautiful sight.”

A sharp, hitting sound broke their attention away from the ocean.

“HYPER STARLIGHT KICK!” Screamed a familiar voice. Hikari and Haruhi saw a beach ball fly though the air. Laughter burst out after it had landed. The two girls walked onto the beach and picked up the ball.

“Haruhi! Hikari!” Tamaki screamed. He was running and waving at them, until he tripped and slid the rest of the way.

“Are you alright, Senpai?” Haruhi asked. Tamaki stood and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Of course I’m alright, since you’re here.” Hikari noticed Tamaki turning a bit red as he looked at Haruhi.

_I think it’s best if I leave them alone for a bit_. She walked along the beach shore and, eventually, saw Hikaru running towards her.

“Well, look what the ocean brought,” he said, “I didn’t think you’d pick that suit.” Hikari shrugged.

“Well, it was the only one that I felt comfortable wearing,” She said. Hikaru walked over and lifted her chin.

“I’m hoping that we’ll get to see you…without the cover-up,” He said in a velvet voice. Hikari held her breath. Whenever Hikaru did this to her, her mind became fuzzy and nothing seemed to make sense to her. She soon felt his hand crawl under the cover-up onto her bare back. His hands were warm, but her back must have been on fire.

“I’m not here to be your little toy,” Hikari said pushing Hikaru back. He smiled.

“We’ll see about that. I’m dragging you into the ocean whether you like it or not.” Tamaki and Haruhi met up with Hikari and Hikaru and the four met up with the rest of the gang.

Hikari hadn’t had this much fun at the beach since she was a little girl. She sat in the sand and remembered swimming with Natasha, her mom taking pictures, building sand-castles with her dad, and more. She brought her legs to her chest and stared into the sea.  _Mom…Dad…_  She suddenly heard someone coming towards her.

“Mori-senpai,” she said. He gave her a drink and sat down next to her. “Thanks,” she said. The two sat there for some time while Hikari played with her drink in her hands.

“Thinking about your parents?” He finally asked. Hikari felt her heart jump with the sudden noise.

“Yeah, I was thinking about the last time we went to the beach.”

“Ah.” The silence came over them again. She faintly heard Honey swimming in the see with a floaty around his waist, waving hello.

“You’ve been doing well,” Mori said again. Hikari didn’t understand what he meant by that. “You’ve been living with horrible people, you have to write in secret, it must be hard.” Hikari giggled and nodded.

“It’s been very difficult,” she said.

“But you seem happy.” Hikari turned her head. “You have Haruhi as a good friend, Kaoru too. Mitsukuni wants to keep you happy, Tamaki and Kyouya take care of you.” He then looked at her directly in her eyes for the first time. “And Hikaru seems to rescue you whenever you need him.” Hikari’s eyes widen.

“Wh-what are you talking about, Mori-senpai,” She stuttered. She stood up, taking off her cover-up.

“I’m gonna swim. Thanks for the drink,” she said and ran into the water. As she was swimming, she bumped into Hikaru.

_Maybe Mori-senpai was right,_  she thought.  _Maybe Hikaru…is always there when I want him…_  And as if he read her mind, he brought her into his arms and held her close. Hikari saw Mori-senpai smile as if he’d proved his point.

[That night]

Kyouya’s villa was bigger than Hikari expected. Maids on the left and butlers on the right greeted the eight guests.  _Eight people are staying in this big house?_  Hikari asked.

“Everyone gets their own room,” Kyouya said as they entered his GRAND lobby. The chandelier above Hikari shone brightly, making her cover her eyes.

“It doesn’t get easier,” Haruhi commented. Kyouya explained where the rooms were on a map and who would be staying where.

“This way, no one can get lost if they get sick,” he said adjusting his glasses. Haruhi looked away from embarrassment.

“Kyou-chan, when do we eat?” Honey asked.

“In a while, but lets get cleaned up.” Hikari agreed, considering the salt water from the ocean made her sticky.

Her room was larger than the room she lived in with the Niwazaki family. There was a bed with and exquisite dark wood frame and canopy. There was a fire place right across from it and a coffee table with a huge arm chair next to it.

“Wow,” was all Hikari could say. She took her bag to the arm chair and went to a dresser that she didn’t see before. It matched the bed frame, but seemed a little dusty. Hikari opened one of the drawers and saw something that looked like a photo. She picked it up and flipped it over the other side.

“No,” she said. She saw a picture of a little blonde haired girl holding hands with a little black haired boy with glasses. “That blonde haired girl…” She looked closer at the picture. She had those familiar honey brown eyes.

“But isn’t Kyouya-senpai too young to be Natasha’s childhood boyfriend?” she asked herself, but deep down she knew the answer.  _Kyouya is four years younger than Natasha…and he acts older than his real age. That’s probably why Natasha goes silent whenever his name is brought up. Kyouya was the boyfriend she had when she was younger_. She placed the picture back, left her room, and ran to the dinning hall.

_I’m gonna let them know that I’m not feeling well and that I’m going to bed early_. As she approached the doors, she heard voices speaking.

“WHAT?” Hikaru screamed. Hikari froze in front of the door, “Kaoru, you liked Haruhi?”

“Yes, I did. You liked her too once, right Hikaru?” Hikaru hesitated.

“Yeah, but that’s different now.” Hikari smiled.

“But do you only like Hikari because she’s similar to Haruhi?” Kyouya’s voice asked. Hikari drew a sharp breath and held it. She didn’t hear him answer “No, I like Hikari for who she is.” Instead, she heard a fist land on the table.

“Hikaru, if you don’t think of Hikari as a person, but only as a Haruhi substitute, then you better not lead her on,” Kaoru said.

“Why do you guys care? And how do you know?”

“Because, we see the way you are around her,” Honey said, “Hika-chan, you’re always treating her differently than everyone else. Although you tease her, you’re secretly helping her.”

“So you’re prying into our personal lives?” Hikaru yelled. Hikari held onto her necklace. “It’s true that Hikari and Haruhi are alike, practically identical.”

“But?” Kaoru asked. Hikaru didn’t respond.

“Everyone likes Haru-chan,” Honey said with delight, “But I think that she would be the perfect match with Tama-chan.”

_Everyone…likes Haruhi…_  Hikari felt her legs beginning to shake.  _So people only see me as another Haruhi, huh?_  She pushed herself off the wall and ran out the front door.

[Haruhi and Tamaki enter the dining hall]

“Alright, let the feast begin!” Tamaki said with joy. Haruhi looked around.

“Wait, where’s Hikari?” she asked.

“Wasn’t she in her room?” Kaoru asked. Hikaru stood up.

“I’ll get her,” he said. Kyouya leaned back and looked out the window.

After a few minutes have passed, Hikaru burst opened the doors.

“Hikari’s missing,” he yelled. Everyone was in shock.

“Is she really?” Haruhi asked. Hikaru nodded, leaning on his knees and panting from all the running.

“I went into her room and I didn’t see her.” Kyouya stood up and went to his laptop, which was charging on a separate table.

“I’ll check the security cameras,” he said calmly.

“Why would Hiri-chan leave us?” Honey asked. Mori leaned on his hand and looked at Hikaru.

“Maybe because she over heard our conversation,” he said. Only Haruhi and Honey were able to hear him.

“What conversation?” Haruhi asked. Honey told Haruhi about how everyone liked her in someway, but now they have loved her as a fellow member of their club.

“What was Hikaru’s response?” she asked him. Honey held onto his bunny tighter.

“Hika-chan didn’t say anything.” Haruhi felt a switch go off in her mind. She rushed over to Tamaki.

“Senpai, I know where she is,” she said.

“Where, Haruhi?” he asked, but she shook her head.

“I have to go alone,” she said, running out the door. As she was leaving, she heard Kyouya running in a different direction.

[Back to Hikari]

Hikari sat on top of a big rock that she had climbed earlier that day. She rested her head on her knees and looked at her necklace.

“Are people only seeing me as a replacement or a prize to show off?” she asked, “I thought that everyone liked me for who I was. Mom, dad, if you were here, I’d call you and ask you to take me home.” The thought of her old home made her throat become tight.  _Oh no_ , she thought,  _I’m not gonna cry, I haven’t cried since they left me_. She took deep breaths and looked at the sky.

“This is a stupid thing to be upset about,” she said aloud, “So what if they think that I’m another Haruhi. That’s their lose.” Hikari stood up and clenched her fists. “I’ve been through worst,” she kept saying.

“Hikari!” Hikari looked below and saw Haruhi in her pink frilly dress.  _Haruhi’s dad packed for her, I guess_ , she said. She waved down below while Haruhi ran up the stony steps.

“Haruhi, what’re you doing out here?” Hikari asked.

“I was gonna ask you the same question,” she said. Hikari was taken back. “Mori-senpai said that you might have overheard their conversation and left.” Hikari laughed.

“Nothing can escape Mori-senpai’s ears,” she said. Haruhi straightened herself up after catching her breath.

“So you overheard them?” Hikari stopped laughing. “Are you serious? You ran away because they all liked me?” Hikari tried to smile. “Hikari, that was last year. I was the only girl that showed them that there’s more to the world than just money. That’s probably why they liked me, but their opinion of me is different now. They see me as a family member of their club, as their mother, who showed them the way.” Hikari looked up at Haruhi, who was smiling.

“This club  _is_  a family. Senpai loves us all. Everyone loves the club. And everyone loves you.” Hikari felt her body freezing in place.

“They all want to take care of you, but at the same time respect you. The only person who would do anything to keep you happy would be-”

“Hikaru,” Hikari finished. Haruhi took her hands.

“Now let’s head back. Everyone’s worried about you.” Haruhi guided her back to the house, but Hikari felt that her scolding wasn’t over yet.

“WHERE WERE YOU?” Hikaru screamed. Hikari jumped back from the sudden noise.

“Knock it off, Hikaru,” Haruhi said in her defense. “She just misunderstood things, that’s all.”

“That’s no excuse to run away like that,” he yelled. Kaoru tried to hold him back, but he jerked his shoulder away. “I thought that you’d be better than that. Leaving because of false assumptions.” He began to shake with anger.

“I’m sorry Hikaru,” Hikari said. Hikaru placed his hands in his pockets and began to walk away.

“Save it,” was all he said. The five gentlemen stood in amazement that Hikaru just walked away again.

“I’m sorry, everyone,” Hikari said bowing, “It’s just that I want people to like me for me and not because I’m like Haruhi.”

“That’s alright,” Tamaki said hugging her, “We’re here to protect you, not hurt you.” She giggled.

“Can we please eat now?” Kyouya said out of annoyance. Everyone went into the dining room and began to eat.

[After midnight]

Hikari looked at the picture of Natasha and Kyouya under the moonlight.  _She looks really happy in this picture_ , Hikari thought. She heard a knocking on her door, which made her jump out of her seat. She quickly rushed over to the draw, placed the picture in, and closed it shut.

“Come in,” Hikari said walking away from the dresser. She saw a boy with auburn hair enter her room. His eyes shone in the moonlight.

“Kaoru,” Hikari said, a little surprised.

“Disappointed?” he asked. He looked at Hikari. “That’s what you sleep in?” he asked. Hikari shook her head.

“Haruhi’s dad gave it to Haruhi to give to me. I think it works well as a night gown.” Kaoru chuckled.

“Yes, it does.” Hikari couldn’t help but feel that there was a different atmosphere around him.

“Umm…Kaoru,” she began, “What brings you to my room this late at night?” Kaoru sat on her bed and brought up a knee to lean on.

“Hikaru can sometimes be heartless. I didn’t like the way he treated you,” He said. Hikari relaxed a little.

“Yeah, I didn’t think that he would really be upset, even after I apologized.” Kaoru placed his knee down and looked at her some more.

“Hikaru doesn’t think as much as I do.”

“That’s true,” Hikari said sitting next to Kaoru, “Hikaru is noisy and a little stubborn sometimes.”

“So why are you with him?” Kaoru asked. “Why are you with a guy that’s immature?” Hikari looked at the ground.

“I’m not actually sure of that myself,” Hikari answered.

“Why don’t you switch over to me?” Before Hikari could even respond, Kaoru held her back and gently pushed her down onto the bed. He placed his face close to hers, their noses touching.

“I look like Hikaru,” he said, “And I’m more sensible than he is. I’ve got more to offer.” Hikari shut her eyes tightly.  _But he’s not Hikaru_ , she said in her mind. Her eyes flew open, suddenly seeing her answer.

“…But…you’re not Hikaru,” she said. Kaoru pulled back a bit. “You and Hikaru are completely different, even though you look the same. To me, you’re more of a brother that I never had rather than a boyfriend, which is what Hikaru is perfect for.” Kaoru pulled back and began to laugh. Hikari sat up and stared in amazement.

“I’m sorry,” Kaoru said, “I did not expect you to say that.”

“What do you mean?” Hikari asked.

“I know you’ll hate me for saying this, but I was testing you.” Hikari felt her chest become stiff with anger.

“YOU WERE TOYING WITH MY FEELINGS?!” she screamed. Kaoru placed his hand over her mouth.

“Shh,” he said, “I don’t want you to wake up the whole house.” Hikari took his hand away from her mouth.

“Kaoru, what’s got into you?” she asked. Kaoru leaned against the bed post and rubbed the back of his neck.

“For starters,” he began, “I’m a little surprised that you left after you heard that conversation. That wasn’t like you.” Hikari was about to speak, but Kaoru put his hand up.

“But I now understand why you did that. You felt that we’re using you as a substitute for Haruhi. You know that you’re like our toy, mine and Hikaru’s.” Hikari nodded.

“That’s why I had to do this,” Kaoru continued, “I had to see if you were prepared to continue to be our toy, especially Hikaru’s, since you’re together.” Hikari rubbed her arm, not knowing what to say. Kaoru smiled and placed his head against hers.

“When I went back into our room, Hikaru was so angry. He just held his head in his hands. He really cares for you. It’s true that Haruhi showed us a lot, but you’re showing us something new.”

“Now you’re just saying that,” Hikari said. Kaoru shook his head.

“I think that you and Hikaru should patch things up.” Hikari’s door suddenly opened. And Hikaru stood leaning on his arm against the wall facing them.

“So you’re with Kaoru now?” he said. Hikari felt anger coming from his eyes. Kaoru winked at Hikari and whispered “Be honest,” and left the room.

Hikaru put both of his hands in his pockets and headed towards the bed post, leaning against it. Hikari stared at the bed not knowing what to say first.

“You want to tell me something?” Hikaru said in a mocking tone. That hurt Hikari a lot, thinking that he was mad at her.

“If you’re thinking that there’s something between me and Kaoru, you’re wrong,” she said. Hikaru huffed.

“Then why were you two together alone in the dark?” he asked.

“He wanted to know why I left…and to see if I really was serious with you.” Hikaru tapped his head against the post.

“Hikaru, I’m a serious girl who has so many problems and issues. When I like someone, I like them and only them. You’ve been there for me when I wanted, even when I try to admit I didn’t want you. When I heard that you might like me because I was like Haruhi, that hurt me. I’ve been used for the past six years, I couldn’t handle being used by people I actually care about.” Hikari took a deep breath.

_I will not cry. I can’t cry. I haven’t in six years_. Hikaru wrapped his arm around her and placed his chin over her head.

“I believe you,” he said, “I want you to believe me. I’m not perfect and I’m not as sensible as Kaoru. But that’s why I like you…a lot. I learn from you.” Hikari swallowed her sorrow.

“So…when was the last time you cried?” he asked. Hikari’s felt her eyes growing wide.

“Wh-what are you talking about?” she said.

“I mean, was the last time you cried when your parents died?”

“Of course not.” Hikaru lifted her head and looked deep into her eyes.

“I beg to differ,” he said, “Your eyes tell me everything. Another thing I learned from you.” He held her again. Tighter than last time.

“It’s okay to cry…I’ve cried too.” Hikari tried to hold the tears back, but she couldn’t. Hot, salty tears streamed down her face, one right after another. Hikaru pressed his lips against her eyes and slowly went to her lips. All she remembered before she fell asleep was Hikaru kissing her lips and holding her close.

[Outside in the hallway]

“Hikari hadn’t cried in six years?” Kaoru whispered.

“That’s right. This broke the record,” Haruhi said. “Crying is a good thing. I learned that. She should too.” She turned to Kaoru with a puzzled look.

“Why are we here anyway?” she asked. Kaoru laughed and the two left Hikaru and Hikari alone.

[Next morning]

Everyone was heading back to the car, but Haruhi stopped Hikari.

“Is everything alright between you and Hikaru?” she asked. Hikari nodded. “Good. I hope you had a good cried.” Hikari pushed Haruhi into the limo and was about to get in, when Kyouya pulled her out.

“What is it, Kyouya-senpai?” she asked. Kyouya took her back inside and adjusted his glasses. He pulled out a picture that froze Hikari’s body all over again.

“You’ve seen this picture. Have you not?” he asked coldly. Hikari nodded. Kyouya looked at it, smiling like he was reliving a happy memory.

“It’s funny how you found this old thing,” he said.

“Kyouya-senpai, you knew Natasha when you were a kid, didn’t you.” Kyouya looked at her with questioning eyes. She returned his glare with determination. He let go of the picture, letting it fall to the ground. He opened the door to exit when he said,

“…Yes…I did.”


	9. Natasha Tells her Story

Hikari was silent for the rest of the day. Every now and then, she’d look over to Kyouya with his answer repeating in her mind: _Yes…I did._ Questions rose in Hikari’s mind that she wanted to ask, but she felt that asking Kyouya in front of the host club was not a wise decision.

_I’ll ask Natasha tomorrow,_ Hikari thought to herself. Kyouya’s limo approached Hikari’s house, which drew her out of her world of questions. She said goodbye and left the limo, but saw an unexpected audience. She saw Kira and Yuuji standing in front of the gates looking their best. _Crap_ , she thought. The two people approached the limo and bowed.

“Thank you for taking care of our daughter, Ootori-san,” they said together. Kyouya raised his hand and the limo drove away. Once it was out of sight, they turned to Hikari with a disgust look on their face.

“Did you do something to displease Ootori-san?” Yuuji asked. Hikari shook her head. “Good. This is a good alliance.”

“Dear, maybe we should have a dinner,” Kira suggested. “And invite them.” Yuuji nodded in agreement and the two walked back into their house. Hikari looked at the road that the limo drove away on. She took out her phone and called Natasha.

[At the coffee shop]

Natasha was sitting at the coffee shop table with a sad look on her face. She wasn’t pleased that Hikari found out, but she knew she’d learn one day. When Natasha saw Hikari enter the shop, she did her best to smile.

“So you found out, huh?” she asked. Hikari nodded and drew the picture from her pocket book. Natasha took it and laughed.

“So he kept it?” she asked.

“Natasha, was the story that you were gonna tell me about you and Kyouya-senpai?” Hikari asked.

“That’s right,” Natasha answered. “But since you’re seeing a lot of Ootori-san, I thought that I’d stay quiet until the time was right. I guess that’s now.” She stood up and left some money on the table. “Let’s walk.”

[Natasha’s story:]

I was just eight years old when I first met him. I remember it so well. I had just got accepted by a singing agency and I was as happy as ever. My parents, as you know, were strict with how I did things, how I looked, how I sounded, etc. So they always kept me away from other people. As a result, I didn’t have any friends.

At one point, the agency needed to talk to my parents alone. So I decided to run outside and to head towards the nearest playground. Coincidentally, it was the Ouran elementary playground. I snuck on and played around on it. Once I heard the bell, I ran away and hid. I saw all of the kids playing together and I began to envy them a lot.

Then I saw a boy with black hair and glasses sitting on a picnic table reading and writing in a notebook. _Why is he sitting alone?_ I asked myself. I gathered my courage, came out of my hiding spot, and walked over to him. Since I was really short, I looked like I was about four or five, but I didn’t know that. And since this boy was about my height, I thought that he was my age.

“Why are you alone?” I asked. He looked up at me and adjusted his glasses.

“You’re not in this school.” He said. I nodded. “Then why are you here?”

“I needed to get away.” He didn’t look at me. “Why aren’t you playing?” I asked him.

“Playing is a waste of time.”

“Really? Why?” He began to look annoyed.

“Do you have something better to do than bother me?” I was hurt by his words, but I smiled instead.

“I tend to do that.”

“How are you proud about that?”

“It’s easy really. People remember me better that way.” And for the first time, he looked at me with his black eyes. _He’s pretty_ , I thought to myself. I didn’t hide it either. I told him that he was pretty and he blushed.

“I’m Orihara Natasha,” I said sitting next to him. He looked the other way. “Do you have a name?”

“Ootori Kyouya.”

“Nice to meet you,” I said. I looked in his notebook and saw all of these big words (they’re actually just words I learned later in my life, but that’s not the point).

“Wow, you must be really smart. Are you in middle school?” I asked.

“Idiot, if I was in middle school, I wouldn’t be here.”

“So are you graduating into middle school soon?”

“I’m only four-years-old.” I was so shocked.

“You’re four years old?”

“Yeah, aren’t you too?” I shook my head.

“I’m eight.” He returned my shocking look.

“EIGHT?! I thought that you were at least my age considering your appearance and your education.” I laughed.

“You shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.” Suddenly, his class was called in and he had to leave.

Everyday, during his recess, I would go visit him and we’d talk and play. He’d never played hop scotch before. He fell so many times. He said that his father wanted him to be better than the best, so he had to study more in order to get good grades. Eventually, though, I couldn’t see him because of my singing. So one day, I saw him outside my house.

“So you’re a singer?” he asked. I nodded. “You’ve got a concert coming up, don’t you?” I nodded again. “I can’t wait to see it.”

“WHAT?” I screamed.

“I’m from the Ootori family, and they’re seeing it. I’ll be there watching.” I felt my heart fly with joy. Not the kind of lovey-dovey joy, but more of a friend type of joy.

“I’ll do my best,” I said. And Hikari, I did. I did so well for my first performance. It was a song about being free and falling in love. When I finished my song, he stood up and threw me a lavender rose. I’ve never seen something so beautiful. I felt like he would be the person who would be with me forever.

After that concert, we saw each other as much as we could, which was surprisingly a lot. He taught me things he learned in school, since I was homeschooled and learned so little. When I was ten, I had an interview with your mom. When I told him about it, he said that she was the best reporter there is in Japan.

“Are you a close friend of Kyouya-san?” she asked me. He told me to keep it a secret, so I tried to deny it, but she laughed.

“It’s okay, your secret is safe with me.” Which it was. She never told anyone, not even your dad. I told him later though, so don’t worry. Since I met you mother, Kyouya and I saw each other almost every day. He was always cool and composed, but he had a soft side (Hikari gives her a shocking look). He did.

Eventually, I don’t remember how or when, we became attracted to each other. He would hug me occasionally and would give me flowers…and then he even kissed me. (Hikari screams at this point).

It was on my sixteenth birthday. After the party at your house, he took me to his house and then into his garden. He was only twelve at that time, but people mistook him for fourteen or fifteen because of his appearance and his knowledge. He was taller than me, so I looked a little younger, but he cupped his hands around my face and kissed me. My first kiss went to him.

“I love you, Orihara Natasha.” He said to me. For the first time in eight years (yes, that’s how long we’ve known each other) he said that. I was so happy. “I want to be with you forever. You’re an amazing person.” I laughed.

“I like seeing this side of you,” I said. “But I like you all together. You’re a very admirable person, Ootori Kyouya.” I did love him too. I told him so.

When your parents died, he was able to help out with the funeral and was going to also help me gain custody over you. He was never there in person, but when you weren’t there, he was, so mostly at night. But one day, when I went to our meeting spot in his garden, he came out, but with a different look on his face.

“I can’t be with you anymore,” he said. My heart stopped as he continued.

“I’m going to be too busy to be spending my time with a commoner like you.” I began to shake. “I’ll forgive you for trespassing onto my garden this time, but do it again, and I’ll get the Ootori police force.” Before he walked away, I slapped him and told him never to dig into my personal life again (since that’s how he got to my house all those years ago).

I lost custody over you and here we are today.

[End of Story]

Hikari felt suddenly sorry for Natasha and for Kyouya.

“So that’s why when his name comes up, you become quiet,” Hikari said. Natasha nodded, but laughed.

“Ootori-san has changed though. I was surprised to hear that he’s in the Host Club.”

“Why do you call him ‘Ootori-san’?”

“Because we’re not together anymore, so it’s only proper for me to call him by his last name.” Hikari hugged Natasha.

“Thank you for the story,” she said.

“No problem.”

“Did Kyouya-senpai really pay for mom and dad’s funeral?” Natasha nodded.

“Well, he didn’t pay. The government did since what your parents did was so honorable.” Hikari smiled proudly. “He made his family sponsor it.”

“How’d the Niwazaki’s get in the picture?” Hikari asked.

“The Ootori group found out that Ootori-san was using their name without permission. And by the time I found out, the Niwazaki family took over.”

“I’m so surprised, though,” Hikari said, “He knew my parents, my history, even me before I met him.” Natasha nodded. “So he knew everything about me before I even entered the Host Club.” She nodded again. “But then why did he torture me with my past that one time?” Natasha shrugged.

“Now I feel bad for slapping him.” Natasha burst out laughing again.

“Don’t be,” she said, “It reminds him about me. You probably slapped that memory wall down and released so many memories he wanted to block out.” 

“What if you got back together?” Hikari asked. Natasha shook her head.

“That’s impossible.”

“Why?”

“Because he has expectations from his family. That’s why he broke up with me. And he won’t get back with me.”

“Will you fall in love again?”

“I don’t know. So much has happened that all of my love has gone towards you.” Hikari got up and the two went for ice cream.

[Hikari’s room. Night time]

“Natasha and Kyouya-senpai were dating,” Hikari told Haruhi.

“Really?”

“Yeah.”

“Wow.” Haruhi fell silent. “So he knows more about you than we thought.”

“No kidding,” Hikari said falling on her bed.

“Does Hikaru know as much as Kyouya-senpai?” Haruhi asked.

“I didn’t tell him how my parents died,” Hikari answered. Haruhi sighed.

“You might want to tell him soon,” she said.

“I’ll tell him when the time is right. I don’t want him to worry.” Someone began to knock on Hikari’s door. “I’ll call you later Haruhi.” She hung up and straightened herself.

“Come in.” Yuuji entered her room this time. _Great,_ she thought with sarcasm, _happy news from the business people_.

“We’re having dinner with the Ootori group,” he said. Hikari straightened up. “He’s bringing his three sons. One of them is in two years above you. I expect that you’ll be polite to him.” Hikari nodded and he left.

“Maybe this is a good thing,” she thought, “I can ask Kyouya-senpai some questions.” Hikari didn’t waste any time. She picked out a dress that Natasha had given her for her for her sixteenth birthday and put her hair up. The dress was low-cut in the back, but high in the front. The top was like a halter top with a velvet chocker. There was a slit down her leg, which was appropriate, and very Natasha. The velvet red wasn’t Hikari’s color, but she looked great in it. In fact, she vaguely looked like Natasha.

_Perfect,_ she thought.

Once the Ootori group came, she walked down the stairs in a graceful manner. Her goal was to be like Natasha around Kyouya. _I want to try to get him alone so I can talk to him_ , she thought.

Kyouya did see her, and his eyes widen as if he was seeing Natasha again. He shook his head and adjusted his glasses. Hikari placed a proud smile on her face.

 After a long diner that Hikari excused herself from multiple of times, Kyouya asked to speak with her alone. Yuuji and Kira were surprised, but agreed. Once they were alone, Kyouya smacked his fist on the table.

“What the hell is your problem?” he said.

“What am I doing wrong, Kyouya-senpai?” Kyouya opened his mouth to answer, but closed it.

“I remind you of Orihara Natasha, right?” she asked. Hikari saw pain in his eyes.

“So…she told you, huh?” He took off his glasses and rubbed his face. “How much?”

“Everything.” He stared at her, and then smiled.

“That sounds like her,” he said. Hikari held onto her necklace.

“Thank you.”

“For what?”

“For what you did for my family…for trying to keep me and Natasha together.” Kyouya was silent. “You knew everything before I even met you.”

“I did.” He paused. “You don’t have to thank me.”

“That’s why you liked Haruhi,” Hikari said out loud, “Because she said the same thing Natasha did.” Kyouya chuckled.

“You’re defiantly like Natasha.”

“She taught me everything I know for the past six years.” Kyouya walked towards the window.

“If I may be so bold,” Hikari began, “I’d say that you still love her.” Kyouya didn’t move. “I don’t know much about the Ootori group, but I do know that you’ll be forced to marry some girl from another company soon.”

“Have you been doing some research on me?”

“You know everything about me and my past. You know how my parents died to save me.” Kyouya continued to be still, like a statue. “So I thought that I should learn more about you.”

“You know a lot,” he said.

“I’ve got good sources.” Kyouya took out his phone and looked at it.

“I think that you should see her again,” Hikari said, “You might think that what you’re doing is right, but it’s not. You both deserve better and it’s making you two miserable. Be selfish for once.”

“I thought that I’m always selfish,” he said.

“In the Host Club, yes, you are. But for yourself, you’re not.” He hesitated before he began to press some buttons on his phone and brought it to his ear.

“Send a car to pick me up. I’ve got something important to do,” he said into the phone. Hikari felt a spark of joy in her body.  

“You’re leaving, Kyouya-senpai?” He turned around and placed his hand on his hips.

“I’ve got some important matters to take care of,” he said. Hikari smiled.

“Alright,” she said, “I’m sure it’s something that you haven’t taken care of for six years.” Kyouya smiled and left the room.

[At Natasha’s House]

Natasha looked at the picture Hikari had given her and smiled.

“Oh Kyouya,” she said, hugging the picture. She suddenly heard knocking on her door and looked through the peep-hole. She saw a tall gentleman in a business suit with his tie loosened and a button undone.

“Oh dear, the neighbor next door locked himself out again,” she said unlocking the door. When she opened it, she noticed that it wasn’t her neighbor, but someone else. He had one hand in his pocket and a lavender rose in another.

“…Kyouya…” she said so quietly that he didn’t hear. She shook her head.

“Ootori-san, what brings you here?” Kyouya didn’t move. Natasha stepped outside.

“Ootori-san?” He still didn’t move.

“Kyouya…” She finally said. As if it was the word he was waiting from, he looked up into her honey brown eyes and threw the rose down. He wrapped his arms around her waist and placed his lips over hers. He kissed her with such passion that Natasha couldn’t even breathe. Once he pulled away, he held her tightly.

“I’m sorry.” Natasha giggled and hugged him back.

[Hikari’s room]

_I wonder if Kyouya went to Natasha’s house,_ she thought. She spun around her room with her arms extended. She wanted to call Natasha, but she didn’t want to ruin their moment together.

“Natasha,” she said like a prayer, “You deserve this happiness. I hope that this gift will make you happy always.” Hikari crawled into her bed and closed her eyes.

When the sun woke Hikari up, she immediately called Natasha.

“Did you get a visitor last night?” Hikari asked.

“A visitor? No I didn’t. Should I have been expecting one?” Hikari held her tongue.

“No, you’re right. I guess I misunderstood what the person was talking about.” They hung up and Hikari stared at the morning sky. _Did Kyouya-senpai not visit?_

[Meanwhile…]

“It hasn’t even been a day and already she’s checking up on us,” Kyouya said with a sigh. “She can be so inconsiderate sometimes.” Natasha couldn’t help but smile.

“She wants to see me happy,” she replied, “What’s wrong with that?”

“Nothing,” Kyouya answered. He took a sip of his tea before asking, “So you didn’t tell her? I thought you tell her everything?” He added his evil smile at the end of his question to make Natasha blush. Even after all this time, he knew how she liked it.

“I do, but if what you tell me is true—about what might happen to her—then I want to save it, so that something good could make her smile.” Kyouya reached for her hand. “Will the Niwazaki family really do that? Especially to her?” she asked. Kyouya nodded.

“Business is a dangerous sport, and they don’t play it well.” Natasha placed her free hand on her head.

“Poor Hikari,” she said, “She loses her parents, then she lives with horrible people, and now this.” Kyouya kissed her hand.

“When will you tell her about us?”

“Soon,” Natasha answered, “I’ll tell her when things begin to fall through.”

“That’s soon,” Kyouya pointed out. “My sources say that Christmas is when things will fall, so I’d say it’ll start in October.”

“Then I’ll tell her when school starts,” Natasha said, “About us.” Kyouya smiled and leaned in.

“I’ve missed you,” he said.

“Me too.” 


	10. Summer Lovin'

For summer break, Hikari convinced Yuuji and Kira to allow her to spend the summer with Haruhi. Her reason: Tamaki’s fiancée (Haruhi) has invited her to keep her company during their time off from school. The Niwazaki couple was pleased that someone of high class had invited their “daughter” to their summer home that they repeatedly agreed to the arrangement.

Once Hikari entered the car, with Natasha as her driver, and they drove away, they began to laugh.

“This is going to be the best summer EVER!” Hikari screamed. Natasha laughed.

“That’s right. And this house is not far from the beach,” she said. Hikari threw her arms in the air.

“The three of us on the beach.” She jumped up and down in her seat. Eyes glancing buy buildings until they reached Haruhi’s apartment. When she got herself situated in the car, the three were off on their trip.

“I bet you two want your sweethearts to come,” Natasha teased. Haruhi and Hikari blushed.

“Not really,” Haruhi replied, “Last year, I went to Karuizawa and they came after me.” She placed her head on the head rest and sighed. “It turned into an un-vacation.”

“Well put that behind you, Haruhi,” Hikari said, “This summer, it’s just you, me, and Natasha. No boys until September.”

“I’m for that,” Natasha said raising her hand. Haruhi smiled.

The summer house was a cute cottage with three bedrooms, three bathrooms, a kitchen, a living room, and a dining room. Hikari’s jaw dropped.

“Wow, this house is beautiful,” Haruhi said.

“Isn’t it?” Natasha said, waiting for more comments.

“How could you afford this?” Hikari asked.

“I’ve been saving up so I could give you a break from the Niwazaki clan,” Natasha said. “Either way, Hikari, let’s enjoy ourselves.” She wrapped one arm around Hikari and another around Haruhi and guided them to the house. All three quickly put on their bathing suits and ran to the beach.

“Is this a private beach?” Haruhi asked.

“No way,” Natasha said, “It’s just not crowded today, I guess.” Hikari ran into the ocean Natasha following her from behind. After an hour of pure relaxation and fun, a familiar voice called out.

“HIKARI-CHAN!” Hikari looked up from her tanning and saw a girl in a tropical bikini run towards her. She had her black hair flowing behind her and her hand was waving frantically. A smile grew on Hikari’s face.

“OH MY GOD!” She stood up and ran towards the girl. They hugged each other and jumped up and down. Haruhi and Natasha walked towards them, Haruhi looking very confused.

“Natasha!” the girl screamed hugging her.

“Well look at you,” Natasha said. The girl hugged Hikari again.

“Hikari-chan, I’ve missed you.”

“Who is she?” Haruhi asked. Hikari and the girl stopped jumping and hugging.

“This is my childhood friend, Yumi-chan. She’s in a year above me and goes to the high school I would have gone to if my parents were alive.” Haruhi bowed.

“It’s nice to meet a close friend of Hikari’s. I’m Fujioka Haruhi” Yumi smiled and bowed back.

“I haven’t seen you in six years,” Yumi said hugging Hikari some more.

“I know, how’s everything? How’re you’re parents?” Yumi sighed.

“They’re fine, as usual. They’re off in Europe now, but if they weren’t, I’m sure they’d be happy to see you.”

“Why didn’t you go with them?” Hikari asked.

“Because I wanted to come to the beach and take pictures instead.”

“That’s right, you want to be a photographer.” Yumi smiled. “So you’re staying in a house alone?”

“Yeah, but it’s okay, it’s sorta nice.”

“Why don’t you stay with us,” Haruhi suggested.

“Is that alright?” Yumi asked.

“Of course,” Natasha said, “They three of you can take the master bedroom.”

“I don’t want to intrude,” Yumi said. Hikari took her hands and smiled her biggest smile.

“No way! We need to catch up and you’ve gotta get to know Haruhi.” Haruhi waved her hands and shook her head.

“I don’t want to be a burden,” she said. Hikari shook her head.

“I would love to have the people I care about get to know each other.” And Hikari got her wish. She, Yumi, and Haruhi exchanged stories about their lives and what they’d like to do for a living. By the time they stopped talking, the sun was rising, introducing the new day.

Natasha began to cook breakfast while Yumi mentioned some people she saw on the beach.

“I saw these six, gorgeous looking guys. I think you two would like them.”

“Do you know them?” Haruhi asked. Yumi shook her head.

“I’m super shy, so I keep quiet, but I took pictures.” She took out her camera and showed them. Natasha looked over Hikari’s shoulder as Yumi slid photo after photo on her camera. A cold breeze suddenly swept over the three.

“Is everything alright?” Yumi asked.

“Are you sure that these were the boys that you’re talking about?” Hikari asked. Yumi nodded.

“Yes they are.” Haruhi placed her head on the table while Hikari smacked her head.

“Oh no,” they said together. Yumi looked puzzled.

“Yumi-chan, remember the host club that Hikari and Haruhi are in?” Natasha asked. Yumi nodded. Suddenly, the ground shook bellow them and the kitchen door that led to the beach burst open. A tall, blonde haired boy stood with his bathing suit and a T-shirt in the door way. Yumi smiled.

“That’s one of them,” she whispered.

_CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP CRAP!_ Hikari thought through her mind. Behind him were twins with auburn hair, each one holding a water gun. Frantically they pointed it around the house. A little boy squeezed through the blonde boy and smiled a big smile.

“Hiri-chan, Haru-chan, what are you doing in here?” he asked. Natasha looked from them to the girls at the table. Hikari and Haruhi appeared as if they were dead bodies. Yumi poked their heads to see if they’d move. They didn’t.

“Haruhi!” Tamaki screamed running towards her and shaking her frivolously. “Don’t die!” Natasha placed a hand on his shoulder.

“It’s okay, Tamaki-kun. She’s not dead. She’s just surprised.” Tamaki turned around and put his charm on.

“Excuse us for intruding,” he said in his prince charming voice, “I hope that we haven’t done any permanent damage to this lovely house.” Natasha laughed.

“Sorry, but your charms doesn’t work on me,” she said. Tamaki was shocked, thus her retreated to a corner to sulk.

“Senpai,” Haruhi said with anger, “Why are you here?”

“Kyouya and I wanted to bring the club to where you guys were,” he said in a pouty tone.

“How’d you know…” A light bulb turned on in Hikari’s mind. She turned around and saw Kyouya and Natasha standing together.

“Kyouya, I thought that you weren’t gonna come?” Natasha said.

“I didn’t come. Tamaki did,” he said pointing at Tamaki in the corner. “I just stayed in my house near here.” Natasha hugged him.

“That’s so like you Kyouya” she said. The twins smirked.

“Kyouya-senpai has a girlfriend?” Hikaru said.

“I would have never guessed that he even had a soft spot,” Kaoru commented. Kyouya glared at them and they huddled in fear.

“When did this happen?” Hikari asked. “I thought that no one came to your doorstep that night.”

“I’m sorry, Hikari,” Natasha said, “I wanted to surprise you when school began to start, but…” She glanced up at Kyouya for a moment before shaking her head. I’m really sorry.” Hikari looked at the floor with a disappointed face, but smiled once she looked up.

“It’s okay. I’m happy that you’re back together,” she said. Natasha hugged her and apologized again. Hikari forgave her and looked over at Yumi. She looked at everyone with a smile on her face.

“Yumi, this is the Host Club,” she said. Yumi clapped her hands.

“Wow, they’re so pretty,” she said. Tamaki took her hand and went close to her face.

“Thank you, princess, but our beauty cannot surpass yours,” he said. Yumi pushed him away and burst out laughing.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean to offend,” she said. Tamaki shook his head.

“Tono, you don’t know how to treat a lady,” Kaoru said. He sat next to Yumi and extended his hand.

“I’m Hitachiin Kaoru. Nice to meet you.”

“Kayume Yumi. Nice to meet you too,” she said with a smile.

“Sorry for the clubs’ behavior,” he said. Yumi shook her head.

“I saw you all yesterday and I thought that you were all gorgeous.” Kaoru smiled

“Really?” he said. Hikari and Hikaru watched the two from the doorway.

“I think the temperature in this house is heating up,” Hikari said. Hikaru placed his hands behind his head.

“Yeah, they’re too many people here anyway,” he said.

_I didn’t mean that_ , Hikari thought to herself, but she ignored it.

*******

[One Month later on the beach]

Hikari sat eating her popsicle when she saw Yumi and Kaoru looking for shells.

“Okay, Kaoru, if I find the missing half, you have to play a penalty game,” she said. Kaoru laughed.

“Alright, but if I find it, you have to play _my_ penalty game.”

“You’re on!” The two began to look for the missing shell when Yumi raised her hand victoriously.

“FOUND IT!” she said. Kaoru smiled.

“I guess I lost.”

“You guess?” She began to chase him around the beach. Hikari laughed.

“Those two are getting along,” Haruhi said.

“Kao-chan is really happy. So is Mimi-chan,” Honey said eating his 100th popsicle.

“He can eat a lot of sweets,” Hikari commented. Haruhi nodded in agreement.

Hikari scanned the area and found Natasha and Kyouya walking along beach, lost in conversation. She couldn’t help feeling a bit upset with Natasha’s concealment of her new relationship with Kyouya. Even though Hikari knew it was none of her business, she wished that she’d known. Lost in a daze, she began to draw little squiggles in the sand.

“Is something wrong?” Haruhi asked.

“I’m still a little upset that Natasha didn’t tell me about her and Kyouya-senpai. That’s all.” Haruhi crossed her legs and took a deep breath.

“I can understand that,” she said. “Do you understand why she kept it from you?”

“I guess,” Hikari said. Haruhi waited for her to answer.

“And, what would that reason be?”

“That when school starts and I’m unhappy to go, she’d have some good news to share with me.”

“If you had found out then, how would you react?” Hikari shrugged.

“I dunno. I guess that I’d ask for the details. But what if she lied?”

“Does Natasha seem like that kind of person?” Hikari shook her head, “Then she would’ve been honest with you then.” Hikari sighed.

“I guess you’re right.” Haruhi hugged her.

“You really need to lighten up, you know?”

“It’s a little weird hearing that from you.” Haruhi gave her a look. “You’ve got Tamaki on your back all the time, your dad’s the same way, and a good portion of the time you want to study.”

“I’ve got to study to be as good as my mom,” Haruhi said in defense. Hikari laughed.

“You’ll be fine Haruhi.” Suddenly there was a girlish scream. Tamaki was running away while Hikaru was laughing historically, dropping a plastic snake that he was holding.

“That’s was pretty mean, Hikaru,” Haruhi said. Hikaru wiped a tear away.

“Sorry, but it was well worth it. Didn’t you hear him scream?” Haruhi looked to where Tamaki ran and pointed.

“Hikaru, I think you better be careful,” she said, but he didn’t hear. Hikari, Honey, Mori, and Haruhi moved out of the way.

“HYPER STARLIGHT KICK!” Tamaki screamed as a can came flying towards Hikaru. He got smacked in the head, falling head first into the sand. Mori-senpai picked him up and brought him to the shade.

“Hikari,” he said. She nodded.

“Haruhi, why don’t you find Tamaki-senpai. Honey, can you find Kaoru and let him know about his brother?” Honey saluted and went out to find Kaoru. Hikari placed Hikaru’s head on her lap.

“Stupid boy,” she said, “Getting hurt and teasing other people. You deserved that kick.”

“But at least I’m the luckiest guy in the world,” Hikaru suddenly said. Hikari felt a heat wave trace up her spine.

“Are you saying that you made Tamaki-senpai angry on purpose just to grab my attention?” she asked with anger. Hikaru laughed.

“No, I’m just saying that I’m lucky to get a chance to lie on your lap. Now I’m closer to you,” he said with a wink. Hikari blushed.

“But, I wished that Kaoru was here. Instead he’s with that girl.” Hikari pushed his head off her lap. He sat up rubbing his head and looked confused.

“What do you mean ‘that girl’?” she asked. Hikaru saw anger flaring in her eyes.

“I don’t mean it like she’s nothing…I’m just…” he couldn’t find the right word, so Hikari said it for him.

“Jealous?” she asked. Hikaru looked at her and leaned against the tree providing the shade.

“It’s just…we usually do these things together. And he’s always there to play with me…but…” He ran his fingers through his hair.

“You’re jealous of Yumi?” Hikari began to laugh. “Please don’t take this the wrong way, but didn’t Kaoru feel the same way when you found me?” Hikaru eyes widen as if he never thought of that. “He must have felt worse since he didn’t have his own girlfriend there to comfort him.” Hikaru placed his arm around Hikari and brought his mouth towards her ear.

“You’re my girlfriend?” Hikari swallowed and nodded. “I didn’t know that. I like that.” He placed head on her lap again. “I guess that shows you how I’m lucky. You’re mine. My girlfriend. My little toy.” He put his hand behind her head and brought her down to kiss him. Hikari blushed.

_This is one crazy summer_.

[Month two of the crazy fiasco]

Hikari and Hikaru hid behind the tree as the sun began to set. _I know that this is bad, but I want to make sure that Kaoru is worthy of Yumi_. She looked up and saw Hikaru staring at the couple.

_Of course Hikaru is thinking the same thing_.

“What are we looking at?” Natasha asked. Hikari and Hikaru jumped back.

“N-nothing,” they both stuttered. Natasha smiled and hid behind another tree.

“I want to see if anything will happen between the two, in case you were wondering,” Natasha said. Hikari and Hikaru continued to hide and watch the scene.

“Wow, so you and Hikaru-kun make your own clothes?” Yumi said. Kaoru gently kicked the water.

“Yeah, we’re not that good, though.”

“You’re just being modest,” she said pushing him. _Yumi is as aggressive as ever_ , Hikari thought to herself.

“But you’re an amazing photographer,” Kaoru commented. Yumi blushed drastically.

“No way. I’m just an amateur.”

“I’m serious. You’ll be great one day.” Yumi hugged Kaoru, who turned a little red.

“Aw, thanks.”

“A-anyway, Yumi-chan…” she let go of him and spun around.

“Mmhmm?”

“Well…that is…” He took a deep breath. “Would you like to go out with me sometime soon?” Yumi stood still. “You’re a great girl and I know it’s been only the summer, but I really think you’re amazing and I want to get to know you better. So could we go out sometime?” Yumi smiled and placed her hands on her cheeks.

“Sure thing, Kaoru-kun.”

“What?” Hikaru moaned, “Just a date? What about as a girlfriend?”

“Idiot,” Hikari said low enough so only Hikaru could hear. “Kaoru is taking it one step at a time.” Hikaru shrugged. “Unlike some guy I know that just kissed a girl randomly at a dance.”

“But it was well worth it,” Hikaru said with a smile. Hikari stuck out her tongue and ran towards Haruhi. She was lying on the sand doing her school work, as usual.  Hikari sat next to her and looked over shoulder.

“Why are you doing homework when we’re having fun?” Hikari asked, “We always do it later.”

“I want to get this out of the way, that’s all,” Haruhi said, her eyes not leaving her paper.

“But what are you gonna do when we do our homework later?” Hikari asked.

“I’d read over the law books that I brought with me,” Haruhi answered as she furiously wrote down the answers to a problem. Hikari took an ice cube from Haruhi’s drink and placed it on her back. Haruhi screamed.

“Haruhi!” Tamaki screamed. She glared at Hikari, who looked the other way.

“Haruhi, are you alright?” Tamaki asked with concern, “Are you hurt? Sunburned? Dehydrated?” Haruhi placed up her hand and shook her head.

“My drink spilled on me and it was cold, so I screamed.” Tamaki stared at her for a minute, but then laughed it off.

“Okay, Haruhi,” he said, “If you say so.” He turned around to face the sea, and then at Haruhi again, but with eagerness in his eyes.

“Let’s watch the sun set,” he suggested. Haruhi was about to decline the offer, but smiled instead and walked away from the group. Tamaki beamed with joy and went after her, leaving Hikari on the beach towel with Haruhi’s homework.

[Last Dinner at the Beach House]

Natasha, Mori-senpai, and Honey started the barbeque while Haruhi, Hikari, and Yumi set the table. Yumi kept looking at the door to their beach home with a longing look in her eyes. _I wonder if she’s waiting for Kaoru_ , Hikari thought.

“Yumi-chan?” she asked. Yumi turned to her with a smile.

“What’s on you’re mind. Hikari?” she asked.

“Shouldn’t I be asking you that?” Yumi looked around and brought her hand to the side of her mouth.

“I was just wondering what happened to Hikaru-kun and Korou-kun.”

“They went shopping for fireworks,” Haruhi answered. Yumi jumped back, frightened at the fact that someone was listening. “They just got back, and Kaoru said that there was something he found that you might like.” Yumi smiled with delight and ran towards the twins.

After a fabulous diner, Natasha and Kyouya began to set up the big fireworks as a finale while everyone else fooled around with the little ones.

“Alright,” Yumi said with confidence, “The person’s who sparkler last the longest gets to set the big fireworks on fire!”

“That sounds like a good prize,” the twins said together with an evil grin on their identical faces.

“YAY! Count me and Usa-chan in,” Honey shouted with joy. Mori-senpai nodded and took out sparklers from the plastic bag. 

“That’s such a small prize,” Tamaki said, lost in his own thoughts, “We need something that will make a person go crazy about winning.”

“You know that there’s a legend about the person who lights the fireworks, right?” Yumi asked him. Tamaki shook his head. “Well, basically, the person who lights the last fireworks of the summer will have one wish. They must wish for it with all their  might from when the first firecracker pops until the last. If all of that is done, then the wish will come true.” Tamaki began to stretch with a new look of determination in his eyes.

“I will beat you twins and make my wish come true,” Tamaki threatened. The twins moved in unison placing their hands behind their heads and acting like they didn’t care.

“I’m not gonna lose to either of you, too,” Yumi said. Hikari and Haruhi just sat there and nodded. _Honestly, I just hope that there won’t be another battle between those three_.

The competition began with Hikari losing first followed by Haruhi. Yumi had confidence that shone brighter than her sparkler. Hikari decided to get everyone some drinks when she stumbled on Natasha and Kyouya.

“So it’ll start soon, huh?” Natasha asked, leaning her head on Kyouya’s shoulder. He placed his arm around her and rested his head on hers.

“Unfortunately.”

“Kyouya, please look out for her at school, okay?” Natasha asked. Kyouya smiled.

“Of course, Natasha. I’ll take extra care of her.”

“You sound like a godfather,” she said with a laugh. Kyouya gave her a gentle, sweet look that said “Oh, you find this funny?” Hikari sat behind the bushes with her back towards the couple.

_What do they mean ‘look out for her’? Is that her me? What’s gonna happen? And why is Natasha not telling me?_ She heard Yumi scream with joy as her sparkler was still shinning brightly in the night sky.

“I WON!” she screamed.

“Congratulations,” the losers said. Yumi didn’t wait for Natasha and Kyouya to join. She took a match and set the fireworks exploding. While Yumi was praying for her wish, Hikari stared at the night sky. She felt Hikaru wrapping his arms around her neck from behind breathing into her ear. Her hands held onto his wrists.

_What’s going to happen?_


	11. The Sweet Smell of Revenge--Hikari's Secret is Revealed

A red ribbon was tied around Hikari’s white bedpost, tickling her nose in her sleep. She rolled over to the other side.

“…let me sleep, Natasha, just five more minutes…” she mumbled as she pulled the covers over her head.

“If you’d like, sweet angel, I’ll give you five days.” Hikari’s eyes shot open and sat up in her bed. Her terrace door was open, the late summer breeze filling her room. _That was strange_ , she thought. She hopped out of bed and got ready for school.

[At Ouran after school]

Haruhi looked over Kyouya’s right shoulder while Hikari peeked over the left. Mori-senpai picked Honey up to see over his head.

“So…” Hikari began to say, “What is this all about?”

“We’re preparing our next cosplay. It’s been a while since we’ve done one,” Kyouya answered typing furiously on the keyboard.

“Any thoughts?” she asked. Haruhi shook her head.

“Senpai is wondering around the school for some ‘inspiration’,” she said, “The twins tagged along too. They wanted to beat him at finding it.” She sighed and went towards the sofa. The front doors burst open and smoke began to enter the room. Everyone began coughing when Tamaki’s voice filled the room.

“I’ve found it!” He screamed with delight, “Our next cosplay is…” The smoke cleared and Tamaki stood in the center. He was wearing a cowboy hat, a flannel shirt with a bandana tied around it, jeans, and white cowboy boots…with spurs. Haruhi and Hikari dropped their heads. _This was the inspiration?_ Hikari asked herself.

“Hold it right there, partner,” said two voices at once. Hikari looked up and saw the twins looking like Tamaki…except in black boots and a black bandana covering their nose and mouth, standing as if they mere reflections of one another.

“The double twin bandits,” Tamaki announced, “I should have known that you’d follow me here.” He drew out a gun—obviously fake because the price tag was still on it—and aimed it at the twins.

“Leave now before I fire.” The twins smirked under their coverage and grabbed Hikari and Haruhi. They pointed their fake guns to their head and laughed an evil laugh.

“Would you want your precious wife and daughter to be killed?” Kaoru asked holding Haruhi close. Tamaki hesitated, slowly lowering his gun. Hikaru stroked Hikari’s hair and rubbed his cheek against hers.

“Such a pretty daughter,” he said, “I think I might take her for myself.” Tamaki froze as his color left his body.

“Not while I’m around,” said a familiar, feminine voice. Hikari turned around and saw a cowgirl with two black braids and brown boots. Her mini jean skirt had ridges at the end of it, completing her white, short-sleeved button down shirt. All topped off with a white cowgirl hat. Kaoru stared at her for a minute before getting back into character.

“Yumi-chan?” Hikari said, “How did you get in here?” Yumi held up a peace sign.

“Simple, Kaoru told me of a back entrance I could use if I wanted to hang out with you guys.” Hikari felt her soul leaving her body. Yumi winked at her. “No way I’m gonna not see you after all this time.”

_Can’t this thing end NOW?_ Hikari wondered.

“Tamaki,” Kyouya finally said, “Can we please end this stupid cosplay and get back to work?”

“But this is my idea, Kyouya,” Tamaki whined.

“Well, if this is what you want, then present it to me properly. Not in some ridiculous fashion.” Tamaki took offence to this and began to draw circles on the floor. The twins lowered their black bandanas and breathed in the fresh air.

“Man, it’s hot in there,” Hikaru said. Kaoru let Haruhi go and walked on over to Yumi.

“They really seem to be enjoying each other’s company,” Haruhi pointed out. Hikari nodded.

“I wonder if she’ll be coming here a lot?” she asked aloud.

“I thought that you’d want her to come a lot,” Hikaru assumed.

“Don’t get me wrong, I do, but she’s a lot to handle.”

“How so?” Haruhi asked. Hikari thought for a minute before answering.

“Yumi is like a girl version of Hikaru, but more girly.” Hikaru was taken back by this fact as he stared at the couple with his golden eyes. Hikari smiled. _He’s probably becoming more jealous of Yumi-chan._

“Alright team,” Tamaki said again, “Let’s go downstairs to help bring up the costumes.” Everyone assembled and began to bring the cowboy western theme boxes up to the third music room.

Hikari was the last person to pick up a box, when something came across her path and she tripped forward. Her face fell first on top of the box of props followed by the weight of her body. She felt pain rush to her head as she rubbed it.

“What the hell?” she said quietly. She turned around and saw a banana peel lying on the floor. Footsteps approached her as she checked herself for any injuries that she might have had during her fall.

“My my my,” said a snooty voice. _Do I really have to go through this?_ Hikari thought to herself. She turned around and saw the girl who’d been constantly threatening her since her arrangement with the host club.

“That wasn’t very graceful of you.” She laughed a snobbish laugh placing her hand slightly over her mouth. “I wonder what the host club would think if they saw you.” Hikari picked up the prop box and continued to walk towards the school, but she knew that the girl was following her. She turned around to tell her to back off, but no one was there. Instead, she felt that there were other people following her. She quickly put the box down and took out a small notebook and pencil. A writer always had to be on her toes.

“This’ll be great for my story,” she said triumphantly. Her head began to hurt from the overwhelming thoughts flowing through her mind. She picked up the box and carried it to the host club.

When she entered the room, she had thought that she was out west. The wooden floors were filled with sand. The Ouran walls were transformed into the walls of a saloon with wooden chairs and tables. There was a bar that was full of tea and soft drinks for the guests. Hikari didn’t realize that she was in the right place until Honey popped up in front of her.

“Hiri-chan,” he shouted, “Don’t I look like a real cowboy?” Hikari looked at him with his little cowboy outfit. He looked like Tamaki except that his bandana was pink. His bunny also wore a cowboy hat and bandana, which made Hikari giggle.

“You and you’re bunny look like you jumped right out of a western movie,” she said. Honey’s eyes widen with joy as he skipped around the room.

“There you are, Hikari,” Haruhi said next to her. She was wearing what appeared to be a waiter costume.

“Haruhi, why are you wearing that? I thought that this was a cowboy theme?” Hikari asked.

“Someone has to serve the drinks to people,” Kyouya said on her other side. “It’s cheaper this way.”

_Of course it is, Kyouya-senpai_.

“Hikari!” Tamaki screamed, “Here’s your costume. The guests will be arriving soon.” He brought out another waiter outfit. “Now you will match your mother. Both disguising your gender and acting like the beautiful men in the world. It’s hard to be beautiful, yes, but…” Hikari tuned him out of her head as she took the costume and went into the back room to try it on.

{The Host Club is now Open}

Hiroki handed one of his ladies a soft drink that she requested along with a bonus story.

“Here you go, princess,” he said, “You’re drink and a special story that comes with it.” The girl’s cheeks turned pink as she read the first few lines aloud.

“ _The dust cleared with the winner standing strong. He stepped over the beast, ready to claim his lover. She was locked in a cage and destined to be treated as a song bird. Her soothing voice had the ability to hypnotize any creature. The beast had wanted her all to itself, but she knew that could never be. Her lover would always come to find her. And now, he can set her free_.” The girl’s eyes sparkled as she read Hiroki’s piece aloud.

“This is AMAZING!” she screamed. The other girls sitting with screamed in unison, “CAN WE HAVE ONE TOO?” Hiroki smiled.

“Of course you can, my ladies. Is there anything you would prefer?” They shook their heads.

“We would like that one, please,” One of them said.

“Then I shall write them immediately.” He said, bowing and leaving his ladies to enjoy the one story he placed.

“Good work,” Kyouya said at the bar. He took out his calculator and started to punch in numbers. “If you make enough copies, and distribute them to the guests, then-”

“I’m not selling my stories, Kyouya-senpai,” Hiroki said with a hint of warning in his voice. Kyouya looked at him as if trying to convince Hiroki to change his mind, but he knew it wouldn’t work. Hiroki was determined to keep his writing free.

“I was going to suggest that you make photocopies of your stories so that you wouldn’t have to re-write them every time.” Kyouya replied. Hiroki thought about it and leaned on the counter.

“That is a thought, but I want the ladies to feel that I’m writing a special story for them. Otherwise, we wouldn’t be doing our job as a host.” Kyouya chuckled quietly and continued his writing. Hiroki took out his notepad and scribbled another note: _Girls love the girl being captive like a song bird concept…_

“The girls at your table are really wild,” Haruhi commented after his guest had left.

“Yeah, I just wrote down an idea for the book I’m writing and I wanted to see how well it would work in public. I guess it’s another crowed pleaser.”

“A BOOK?” Haruhi asked surprised.

“Yeah, I never mentioned that?” Hiroki asked. Haruhi shook his head, but before Hiroki could explain, someone tapped his shoulder. A girl with light brown eyes approached him. Her brown hair running over her shoulders. She had strands of blonde in it, showing that she was out in the sun all summer long. Hiroki griped the edge of the bar counter.

“Umm…” she said. Hiroki looked over at Haruhi and back at the girl. She was playing with her hand while she spoke.

“I’ve been in this club for a while and I’ve been observing you.” She took a deep breath and looked into Hiroki’s eyes.

“I would like for you to be my host.” Hiroki smiled and extended his hand towards an empty table.

“Please take a seat, and I’ll be with you in a minute.” She clapped with delight and skipped on over to the table.

“Haruhi, can you help me with something?” Haruhi shrugged and followed Hiroki to the storage room.

[Backstage]

“Are you alright?” Haruhi asked. Hikari took her hair down and ran her fingers through it.

“That’s the girl that’s been bothering me about the host club,” she said.

“Ah.”

“She threw a banana peel in front of me so that I would fall on top of the prop box,” Hikari whispered in anger.

“So she’s trying to prevent you from coming to the Host Club?” Hikari nodded. “But you’re her host now.” Hikari nodded again. “So what should you do?”

“I’ve got an idea!” Hikari and Haruhi jumped back. Yumi stood between them with her index finger on her lips.

“YUMI-CHAN!” Hikari whispered loudly. Yumi smiled.

“Why don’t you just treat her like any other guest?” She suggested, “That way, you might be able to tell her that Hikari has nothing to do with the host club.”

“But she really does,” Haruhi intervened. Hikari gave up, tied her hair back, and entered the main room.

[Back to the Club]

With a good story at hand, Hiroki laid it on the table where his new customer sat.

“Since you said that you’ve been observing me, I thought that you might have seen some of my writing.”

“Oh,” she said, “I’ve heard about it, but never read any of it.”

“Really? Then you’re in for a treat.” Hiroki slid the piece of paper in front of her. As she took it, the ground began to shake. _Here we go again_ , Hiroki thought to himself. Renge began to rise from the ground on her spinning platform with tears rolling down her face.

“Hiroki-kun,” she said with a small sniff at the end of it, “I’m so touched by your writing. I must receive more of these and put them in my _Moe Moe Ouran_ magazine.” Hiroki smiled.

“I’m glad that the manager of the host club enjoys my writing as much as my ladies do.” Renge screamed with delight.

“Renge-kun,” Tamaki said, “I thought that you liked Haruhi.”

“Of course I’ll always like Haruhi-kun, but Hiroki’s writing is exactly what we girls are looking for, whether we are moe or not.” Suddenly, all of the girls huddled around Hiroki and asked for a story.

_How am I gonna get out of this mess?_ Hiroki thought to himself. He felt two people grabbing his arms and pulling him into the back room.

{The Host Club is Now Closed (due to a stampede that occurred)}

Once the door was close, the twins let go of Hikari’s arms.

“Thanks,” she said taking down her hair.

“What was that all about?” Hikaru asked. He and Kaoru looked at each other, acting in unison.

“I’ve never seen the girls act that way before,” Kaoru added. A small voice made Hikari turn around. Tamaki’s head was hanging down with his back hunched over.

“NO NO NO NO NO NO NO!!!!!!!” He screamed in fury. “I will not allow this!” He took Hikari by the shoulders and began to shake her.

“You’re defiantly your mother’s daughter, but you must become a girl!” he screamed as tears ran down his face. “You’re beginning to gain so many new members that I would have to relinquish my crown as the king to you.” Tamaki let her go and covered his eyes with his arm.

“Senpai,” Haruhi said with a bit of annoyance in her voice, “We’re not mother and daughter. We’re friends, really good friends. And why would she want to be king of the host club anyway?” Tamaki took more offence to this than anything. He acted as if an arrow pierced his heart and he fell on the floor.

“Well, thanks to Hikari’s stories, we’ve got new members, or at least there will be new members soon,” Kyouya said as Tamaki’s body remained motionless. Honey squatted down and poked him. He didn’t move.

“Tama-chan is like a rag doll,” Honey said after observing the lifeless king.

“Just leave him, Honey-senpai,” Haruhi said, “He doesn’t seem to realize that no one wants to take anything away from him.” With these words spoken, Tamaki returned to life.

“Of course, of course,” He said extending his arm to the side, “No one would ever want to take my position away from me because of the love that I get from you minions, correct?” At this point, Haruhi just walked away. Hikari began to follow her when something grabbed her hand.

“Hey, is everything alright?” Hikaru asked. Hikari smiled.

“Yeah, I’m just gonna follow Haruhi.” She broke free and left the music room to figure out which study room Haruhi went in.

“Haruhi must be borrowing another law book from the library again,” Hikari said aloud. She found a library with its doors open just down the hall of the third music room.

“Bingo.” Hikari opened the door and saw Haruhi lost in another law book. She looked up when she saw Hikari entering the room.

“You get down to work pretty quickly,” She said. Haruhi shook her head, closing her book shut.

“Sometimes Senpai takes a lot of energy out of me and I just need some peace and quiet before entering into that crazy world of chaos,” She replied placing her hand on her chin.

Hikari shrugged her shoulders. “That’s true. The host club does take a lot of energy out of you.” Haruhi nodded in agreement. “But if you have issues with them, why are you still in the club?” Haruhi was about to answer when the library doors burst open. A girl with brown hair and blonde highlights stood before them in total shock. _Oh-no_.

“Niwazaki-san,” she said with anger in her voice, “I told you to stay away from Haruhi-kun.”

“I’m not dating him or anything,” Hikari replied. The girl stuck her nose in the air.

“It doesn’t mater. You were with him alone in this room. “

“Really, though,” Haruhi said trying to convince her, “We’re just friends. She came looking for me when-”

“IT DOESN’T MATTER!” She pointed her finger at Hikari. “Look, she’s even wearing a waiter outfit like some of the hosts.” She slapped her upper chest. “I, Chihara Sazaki, will make sure that you, Niwazaki Hikari, will never see the light of day ever again!” With this, she left the two girls in the library.

[At home]

_…She placed down her sword, wiping the beads of sweat on her forehead. It was difficult to act like an honorable warrior sometimes, but she knew that she must do it. With her seven, now eight companions by her side, she knew that she could save her parents._

Hikari placed down her pencil and stretched her arms in the air. Her wrist was sore from writing, but it was well worth it. She had been writing for three hours straight.

“Kira and Yuuji are out late and the maids won’t rat me out.” She stood up and walked towards her balcony door. It was a clear night with a crescent silver moon dangling over head. Hikari opened the door, closed her eyes, and welcomed the night breeze.

“My mind feels so foggy…after being lost in my mind for so long.”

“Yeah, really, I thought that you were gonna put me to sleep.” Hikari’s eyes snapped open as she saw Hikaru sitting in her tree that branched over her balcony. He was twirling a rose between his long, pale fingers.

“HIKARU!” She screamed. “What are you doing here?” He grinned his devil grin.

“I just wanted to check up on you,” He replied. Hikari smacked her head. _At least Tamaki doesn’t sneak around to spy on Haruhi all the time_.

“Why?” she asked in annoyance. “I guess it doesn’t matter. You’ll always check up on me, so what’s the difference?”

“You seemed disturbed, that’s all.” Hikari shrugged her shoulders.

“Besides that annoying Chihara girl, I’m alright.”

“Chihara?” 

“Yeah, the girl threatening me about the club.”

“Wow, so she’s moved onto you then.”

“What do you mean?” Hikaru climbed onto her balcony and continued to stare at the rose.

“Chihara-san was my guest before you came along.”

“Hikaru, really, are you seriously disturbed by this?” Hikari asked. Hikaru’s eyes finally looked into hers. There was something different about it. Something…hot.

“Of course I am,” he said, “My little toy is taking away one of my precious princesses.”

“Hey,” Hikari said, “I’m not your little toy.” The gold in his eye shimmered.

“You said so yourself this summer,” He reminded her. She shook her head.

“No, I only said that I was your girlfriend.”

“Which entitles you to also be my little toy.” With that, he came up to her, wrapping his free arm around her waist, cornering her into the wall. He tilted her head up with his other hand, still holding the rose, showing her his golden eyes burning with passion.

“I guess I’m going to have to play a penalty game with my little toy.” His hand around her waist traced down her back as he brought his face towards her. He suddenly stopped when something caught his attention…or rather, a scream did. Hikari and Hikaru rushed over to the edge of the balcony and saw two people on the ground.

“Are you alright, Yumi-chan?” One of them asked. The voice sounded familiar.

“Kaoru,” Hikaru barked down below, “What are you doing here?” Kaoru looked up and smiled.

“Hi-Hikaru, It’s funny that you mention that. You see…” but Yumi’s hand stopped him from talking.

“Sorry, Hikaru, this was my fault.”

“Why are you spying on us, Yumi?” Hikari asked with a mix of anger and annoyance in her voice.

“Well, I knew that Hikaru was going to come and visit, so I thought that I would be able to see some…you know…” She began to push her index fingers together, trying to look innocent. “…some lovey-dovey action.” Hikari felt her body temperature rising at a rapid pace.

_This is so embarrassing_ , she thought, _What Hikaru and I do is personal. I don’t want people I know to see._

“I was hoping for some action too,” Hikaru said out loud. This only made Hikari’s body become hotter. She felt her heart banging against her chest.

“Hikaru, what were you intending to do tonight?” she asked. Hikaru placed his arms behind his head.

“Well, since you said that you’re my toy, I thought that I could play with you a little differently.” She saw the hotness in his eyes return as his glance caught hers. Hikari tried to swallow, but her throat was too dry.

“And you have a penalty game to play, don’t you?” He reminded her coming closer again. Hikari stepped back looking from the burning eye of Hikaru to the people down below.

“Don’t be afraid, Hikari-chan!” Yumi screamed, “It’ll be fun for you…and me!”

“Yeah, but mostly for-” Hikari was cut short. The young maid that she lends her father’s books to entered her room.

“The mister and misses have returned,” She said curtsying before closing the door. Hikari felt the heat in her body turn to ice. She quickly ran inside, locked the balcony door, closed the curtains, and tried to hide her writing books. When she heard a knocking on her door, she shoved the rest of her stories into her school bag.

“Come in,” she said in a calm, but slightly shaky voice. Kira and Yuuji entered together removing their jackets as the maids came to fetch them. They didn’t look pleased.

“Hikari-chan,” Kira began, “What is your reason for coming back home so late on a school night?”

“Because I would like to finish my homework at school rather than here,” Hikari answered without hesitation.

“That’s not what we were told,” Yuuji said, “We just met the Chihara family and they told us that you were spending your afterschool hours in a club…a ‘host’ club.” Hikari felt a shock of fear race down her spine. She kept her face emotionless, not revealing anything to them about what she has been really doing.

“And who, may I ask, told them this ‘fact’?” she asked politely.

“Their daughter, Sazaki-chan,” Kira replied. She placed her boney hand on her cheek. “She’s such a perfect daughter. She never lies about anything, she focuses on her school work, she partakes in respectable clubs, her friend choices are exquisite.” She looked at Hikari with a tint of hatred in her eyes.

“You, however, have been wasting your time with boys. So tell me, what is this ‘host club’ that you do?”

“I never said that I was in a ‘host club’,” Hikari reminded them.

“I don’t believe you,” Kira said raising her voice, “You have never told us the truth about anything. We ask for so little of you and this is how you repay us? Do you know how embarrassing it was for us to tell them that we weren’t sure what our daughter was doing?” She cleared her throat and ran her fingers through her hair.

“I’m done talking to you.” She and Yuuji began to leave the room. “Oh, and you must be home right after school tomorrow.” And slammed her door shut. Hikari let out a sigh and drew the curtains. Hikaru was still there. His arms were folded across his chest and his fingers were gripping onto his arms as if they would fall a part if he let go.

“You didn’t have to stay,” Hikari said as she opened the balcony door. Hikaru shook his head. She saw his jaw tighten, holding dreadful words back about the people who she was living with. She walked over to the edge and looked over. Tamaki, Haruhi, Kyouya, Natasha, Honey, and Mori-senpai were all talking to Kaoru and Yumi.

“What are you all doing here?” She asked quietly. They all looked up at her. Tamaki clenched his fist.

“Don’t worry, my daughter, we will find a way to keep you in the club for tomorrow.”

“Hey, I’m not your daughter.” Tamaki didn’t hear.           

“You are now a member of our family, and this family helps each other out when we need it. You need to come see us after school to write your stories, to fulfill your dream and your late parents’ wish. I, as your current father, will not let your dream and their wish die in vain.” Hikari looked at Yumi, Haruhi, and Natasha. Natasha gave her a smile.

“You don’t have to do this, Tamaki-senpai,” She finally said.

“Of course I do. I am the Host King and I will do my best to keep this family alive and the kingdom of our princesses running.” He spun around making large hand jesters as he spoke. He then snapped his fingers.

“Hikaru, take care of her please.” Without a word, Hikaru swept Hikari off her feet and took her into her plain room. As he placed her down, he told her to get into her nightgown and to go to bed. Hikari didn’t move.

“I promise I won’t look,” Hikaru said. She heard the seriousness tone leaving his throat and changed in her bathroom. When she opened the door, the lights were off and only the faint moonlight was shining through the room.

“Hikaru?” She asked. Nothing. She yawned, not realizing how tired she really was. As she climbed into bed, she felt a figure lying next to her. She was about to scream, but its hand went over her mouth.

“Don’t scream,” Hikaru whispered. He drew the covers over them and wrapped his arms around her tightly, placing his chin over her head. “I’m going to protect you.” Hikari wanted to try and laugh this moment off, but she couldn’t. She smelt Hikaru’s scent of fresh spices and roses. Her breathing became deeper and deeper as Hikaru held her close.  Against her head, she felt a small beating against his chest.

_His heart_ , she thought, _I can hear it beating_. And with that, she fell asleep.

[After school]

Tamaki told Hikari that after the final bell, she should head over to the third music room like always. When she closed the door the Host club’s room, she saw Hikaru and Kaoru sitting at their host table talking to Yumi.

“Well, Kaoru likes bunny dolls too, but he doesn’t like to show his feminine side to anyone,” Hikaru said with a laugh. Kaoru turned pink.

“Hikaru!” He turned away, acting shy, “Don’t tell her those things.” Yumi didn’t move. Hikaru wrapped his arms around Kaoru from behind, turning his brother’s face towards his. Their lips were millimeters apart.

{Flowery background}

“You know how I like to see you blush, Kaoru. It makes me want you even more than ever.”

“…Hikaru…”

Yumi began to laugh. The flowery scenery disappeared and the brothers just stared at her.

“What’s so funny, Yumi-chan?” Kaoru asked.

“Yeah, is there something funny about our ‘brotherly love’?” Hikaru questioned. Yumi pounded her fist onto the table and tried to not fall out of her seat.

“S-s-sorry, b-but, oh my god, Kaoru’s look…and Hikaru’s face…” Yumi tried to finish her sentence, but it all came out as little fragments with laughter in between.

“I really don’t get what’s funny or considered ‘brotherly love’,” Haruhi said behind Hikari. “I always wonder how they’re so popular.”

“We already told you Haruhi,” Hikaru said.

“Yeah, and you don’t have to remind me.” Haruhi looked over at Hikari.

“How’re you doing? Last night was a little rough, huh?”

“I lived. This morning, Yuuji went on and on about how such a disgrace I am,” Hikari said as if it didn’t matter. She noticed that it made Hikaru tense.

“By the way,” She began again, trying to calm Hikaru down, “Where’s Tamaki-senpai? He told me to be here, so here I am.” As if on cue, Tamaki came through the front doors.

“Hikari, I’ve got a plan to keep your secret safe,” He said.

“Okay, what is it?” Haruhi asked. Tamaki smirked and took out a white board with little scribbles on it. There were so many words that Hikari had trouble trying to figure out what it said.

“So, does everyone have this formation in their minds?” Honey, Kaoru, Yumi, and Hikaru saluted.

“Roger!” They said. Hikari let out a sigh and plopped down on the sofa.

“When will this insanity end?” she asked aloud pinching the bridge of her nose to prevent a headache.

“It will end…”

“…once someone leaves through those doors.” The twins said one right after another. That didn’t convince Hikari. The twin grabbed her arms and threw her into the back room to change into her guy uniform. _This will be fun_ , she said sarcastically in her mind.

{The Host Club is Now Open}

Sazaki was the only one assigned to Hiroki for the day. He was informed that his other guests had other engagements to attend to. _I won’t be surprised if she had bribed or threatened them not to come._

“Hi Hiroki-kun!” She yelled across the room. Hiroki took a deep breath and smiled.

“Sazaki-hime, I have written another story, but it’s for your eyes only,” he said with a wink.

“Oh, Hiroki-kun, how thoughtful.” She took the story and began to read it. As her eyes continued to glide across the words, her grip tightened.

_Tamaki-senpai told me to give her this story and to act along with her reaction. I wonder what he means_ … She pulled her eyes away from the paper and took a sip of tea.

“Hiroki-kun,” she said in a stunned voice, “This story reminds me of a girl I despised.”

“Really?” Hiroki said, “I cannot imagine you hating someone, considering the kindness I see you give to other people throughout the school.” Sazaki smiled and flicked her hair.

“Thank you, really, Hiroki-kun. Now I don’t mean to pry,” She shot him a glare, “but what is your relationship with Niwazaki Hikari?” Hiroki was caught off guard.

“Ni-Niwazaki Hikari?” He repeated. Sazaki nodded.

“I see her come in here all the time, but I never see her around the club. Renge-chan doesn’t know much about her either.”

“Then why are you asking?” he asked trying to act innocent.

“Because I know that she’s trying to find her way into one of your hearts to show you off at parties and things. She doesn’t realize that I’m the one that should be in your hearts. She really needs to know her place around here.”

“I’m really sorry,” He said, “But I have no idea about what you’re talking about.” Sazaki looked at him with pain her eyes.

“You can’t hide her forever, Hiroki-kun. I know she’s here.” She smacked her fist on the table. Everyone turned their heads.

“She just thinks that she can waltz right in here and win everyone over. She’s super close with Haruhi-kun, Tamaki-senpai treats her like a saint, Mori- senpai and Honey senpai always protects her from harm’s way, Kyouya-senpai gives her _special_ attention, and the Hitachiin twins just faun over her, especially Hikaru!” Hikaru’s name echoed through the third music room.

“I’m not in love with him or anything, but I think that it’s unfair that she should be dating a host member.” With this sentence ringing through the air, every guest screamed,

“WHAT?!”

“Hikari-chan is dating Hikaru-kun?”

“I never knew that they were even close?”

“I wonder how Kaoru must feel.”

“Did she steal him away?”

Hiroki couldn’t really say anything. He just stood there in amazement at the people talking about something that’s true…but not true at the same time.

“Princesses, princesses,” Tamaki said, trying to calm down the ladies. He walked on over to Sazaki. “Now why do you bring this up in our humble abode?”

“Because I know she’s here,” she said, “And I want her to know that her parents know and will pull her out of school because of it.” Hiroki felt his heart freezing in place.

_Don’t lose character,_ He kept on thinking, _Please, don’t lose character!_  

“Excuse me,” said a different voice. Hiroki stared at Sazaki, “but I think it’s best if you leave.” She had seemed to have taken offence to this demand.

“Hiroki…kun?” Hiroki’s voice was the one that spoke and was the only one that was heard by all.

“It’s not your place to say whether someone stays or leaves,” He continued, “It is also none of your business what this Hikari does or doesn’t do. Usually when people do that, it shows that they feel their life is just plain, boring, and meaningless. The ladies that enter this room are ladies with hopes and dreams and lives to live. They don’t have time to worry about others when with their hosts. Since you have shown that you’re obviously not that type of woman, I suggest that you leave and don’t come back.”

Sazaki just stared at him, her body shaking with anger. She rose quickly raising her hand high, ready to slap him, but someone caught her arm.

“Stop it,” Mori-senpai said. She looked at him, trying to break her arm free.

“It’s just as Hiroki says,” Tamaki replied, “You’re just not fit enough to be our princess.” The twins opened to the door and Mori-senpai walked her out of the room.

“I’m sorry to say that we must also ask everyone else to leave,” Kyouya announced, “We will make it up to you ladies soon. We’re sorry for the inconvenience.”

“It’s alright, Kyouya-senpai,” One of them said, “She was giving us moe girls a bad name.”

“Indeed she was, princess.” And with that, the girls left the room with the twins closing the door behind them.


	12. The Sweet Smell of Revenge—The Zuka Club Attacks

“See? See?” Tamaki asked around the room. Hikari lowered herself onto the couch,, taking in those last few minutes. “Now she won’t bother the host club again.”

“How can you be so sure, Senpai?” Haruhi asked. “I mean, sure she’s banned from the host club, but didn’t you remember what she said?” Tamaki shook his head.

“She said that Kira and Yuuji were gonna pull me out of Ouran,” Hikari answered. No one had forgotten, even Tamaki. Kaoru placed his arm around Hikaru, who’s knuckles were turning white.

“That is very unlikely,” Kyouya said pushing up his glasses. “It wouldn’t be in their best interest to pull you out based on her facts. As we know, they’re ones for not ruining their reputation. The risks of acting on Sazaki’s word is too big for them to take.”

“Are you sure about that, Kyouya-senpai?” Haruhi asked. Kyouya looked at her and then at Hikari. Kyouya rarely looked at her except the times he would talk about Natasha. This time, Hikari saw sympathy and a sense of uncertainty in his eyes. She suddenly remembered what he and Natasha were talking about after the summer.

_They said that something was going to happen to “her”. I wonder if that “her”…_  

“I’m pretty sure,” he said with confidence, “The only way that they could pull her out would be if someone from another school expressed interest in Hikari’s future and insisting on her applying to their academy.” 

 “So, Hiri-chan will still stay with us?” Honey asked.

“Of course she will,” Tamaki expressed.

Hikari felt that she had enough drama for one day. She went into the back room, changed her clothes, and headed towards the club’s exit. As she opened it, a hand grabbed her shoulder.

“Hikari,” it was Tamaki, “I will do my best to keep this family together, I promise.” Hikari turned around and smiled.

“That’s why you’re the father of the group,” she said. Tamaki placed a proud grin of his face.

“That’s right!” he skipped over to Haruhi, placing his arm around her shoulder. “For I, Suou Tamaki, am your father. And Fujioka Haruhi, my wife, is your mother. Together, we brought you all here, and-” Hikari closed the door behind her. She felt that she had enough Ouran Host Club for one day.

**************************************************************************

Two days had passed since Chihara’s appearance and Hikari was still attending Ouran.

“Then that just shows that her statement was false,” Haruhi said, “So Senpai got worked up for nothing.”

“You say that like it’s a bad thing,” Hikari said.

“It is. He keeps on saying how he’s a great father and me his wife. It all sounds so weird.”

“But didn’t you say that-” Haruhi placed her hand out in front, her palm towards Hikari.

“Don’t you finish that thought,” Haruhi threatened. Hikari smiled and said nothing. As they approached the Third Music Room, Hikari froze.

“I think I left my notebook in my desk.”

“But you always have that notebook with you,” Haruhi said. Hikari sighed.

“It’s ok,” she replied, “I’ll go find it. See you inside.” She waved good-bye and ran down the hall way back to the classroom. As Hikari was running, Haruhi noticed three figures running after her.

“I wonder what that’s all about,” she said quietly to herself. As she entered the host room, she felt a knot in her stomach. She placed her hand on the wall for support and tried to breathe.

“Haruhi!” Tamaki screamed, “Are you hurt?” Can you stand?”

“I’m fine,” she said loudly, “Just…a weird feeling, that’s all.”

[Meanwhile…]

Hikari sprinted as fast as she could towards her classroom. _Why would I leave my notebook there?_ she asked herself entering the empty classroom. As she walked towards her desk, she noticed that the room seemed larger than it normally did. The windows seemed taller to her and the carvings on the ceiling seemed to expand in size, showing off its design.

“I never thought that a classroom could be this pretty,” she said aloud.

“If you think that this is pretty, then you might want to check out my school. Or should I say, _our_ school.” Hikari felt her stomach go on fire as anger filled her mind.

“What do you want-” but she was taken away before she could say another word.

[Back to the host club]

“HARUHI, WE NEED MORE INSTANT COFFEE!” the twins yelled in unison.

“Why do I have to get it?” she asked.

“Because,” Hikaru began, “my little toy hasn’t come in yet.”

“And as our mother,” Kaoru continued, “Shouldn’t you be taking care of your children?”

“I never said that I was your mother,” Haruhi pointed out. The twins shrugged, as sounds from the corner of the room caught Haruhi’s attention.

“Senpai, what are you doing?” she asked him.

“I’m trying to make Honey-senpai understand that my teddy bear will be perfect next to his bunny rabbit,” He answered. Haruhi’s eyes wondered to the sleeping Honey on the couch.

“You know, Senpai, you should just accept the fact that Honey-senpai doesn’t like your teddy bear.”

“WHAT?!” Tamaki screamed, “Who would not like my teddy bear?”

“Anyone with the blood type of AB.” She replied. Tamaki froze as he stared at Honey and then at Kyouya.  Kyouya was reading a book and commented without moving a muscle.

“I find it disrespectful that you’re always using me and my blood type as an excuse for not liking your weird possessions.”

“How can you be so mean, brother Kyouya?” Tamaki asked, giving Kyouya his puppy-eyed look. Before Kyouya could answer, the doors opened to the Host Club. Yumi leaned on her knees panting and trying to talk, but no sound came out of her throat. 

“Yumi-chan,” Kaoru said rushing over to her side, “Did you run all the way here?” Yumi shook her head. Hikaru glared at her for a moment, but then looked back at the rest of the club members.

“Are you alright, Mimi-chan?” Honey asked her. Yumi walked on over to the sleepy boy and patted him on the head and nodded.

“You look like you’ve seen something bad,” Haruhi commented, “Is everything alright?”

“Actually-” she began, but Kyouya’s cell phone began to ring. It was a soothing, gorgeous melody that seemed more like a lullaby than a ringtone. Kyouya smiled and answered it.

“Yes, Natasha?” he said with a smile. After hearing a little electronic mumble, his smiled disappeared.

“When did this happen?” he asked. The phone continued to mumble as the club began to gather around Kyouya. He nodded a couple of times while writing down what Natasha was telling him.

“Alright, thank you, Natasha…I will,” and he hung up.

“Eh? No ‘I love you’, Kyouya-senpai?” Hikaru teased. Kyouya glared at him.

“I bet that you haven’t told someone that you love her yet.” Hikaru pouted and placed his hands behind his head.

“And speaking of Hikari,” he continued,  Haruhi noticed that Kyouya had Hikaru’s undivided attention, “Natasha just told me that the Niwazaki couple called her to say that she will no longer pick Hikari up at Ouran.” A sense of shock filled the room.

“Did they find out who Natasha really was?” Tamaki asked. Kyouya shook his head.

“They said that Natasha is to pick Hikari up-”

“-at the St. Lobelia Academy.” Yumi finished. Tamaki paused for a moment and walked over towards the window. Haruhi followed him and noticed Natasha’s car still waiting outside the school.

“Shit,” Hikaru said through his teeth. He ran his fingers through his hair and tightened his jaw. Kaoru walked next to him and placed his arms around his shoulder.

“Hikaru,” he said quietly, “try to calm down.”

“HOW CAN I CALM DOWN WHEN HIKARI IS BEING TORTURED BY PEOPLE WHO MOCKED HER FATHER’S PLAY?!” Haruhi was amazed by Hikaru’s reaction. Normally he was very laid back about a situation that didn’t relate to him personally, or at least he would try to make a joke out of it. But Haruhi noticed that Hikaru was ready to seriously hurt the three who emotionally scared his girlfriend.

“If you’re going to freak out like that then you’ll never save Hikari,” Haruhi said. Hikaru shot a glare at her, which she ignored as she turned back to Tamaki.

“Senpai, I know you have a plan somewhere.” Tamaki shook his head as he placed his hand on the window, then his forehead on his hand. Haruhi was speechless as she heard Hikaru’s fist land on the coffee table.

“What did Natasha say?” Haruhi finally asked, breaking the silent.

“She said that the Niwazaki family had an unexpected visit by three girls from St. Lobelia. They convinced the two that Lobelia is a better, well-rounded school for Hikari, and that should they act quickly, transferring her will be kept off the records, so as not to cause them any embarrassment.” Kyouya answered. Haruhi began to think. _How can we get Hikari out of there?_

“I’ve got an idea” Yumi said. She locked her eyes with Haruhi’s “But we’re going to need you again.” Haruhi hesitated about answering. Yumi continued to hold her glance until Haruhi nodded.

“I know it’s a long shot and I’m risking Haruhi here, but…” and while Yumi whispered her plan, Haruhi’s face twisted with awkwardness.Her eyes glanced over at Tamaki. He grinned widely and his eyes began to twinkle.

“This is your chance, Haruhi!” he exclaimed, “Quick, we must make you look appropriate.” Tamaki snapped his fingers and the twins assembled. “Let’s get Haruhi and Yumi-chan ready.” The twins saluted as they carried the two girls to the back room.

[At the Niwazaki house hold]

“WHAT DO YOU MEAN THAT YOU HAD ME TRANSFER SCHOOLS?!” Hikari screamed. She slammed her hands down on Yuuji’s desk making him jump a little out of his seat.

“We had to,” he said, “we couldn’t handle hearing about you’re ‘host club’.”

“Did I ever say that I was in a ‘host club’?” Hikari asked.

“That’s not the point here,” Kira said as she was looking through the mail, “The point is that it’s embarrassing to have rumors about our daughter partaking in some club about fooling around with guys.”

“I’m not your daughter,” Hikari said loudly. Yuuji and Kira both looked up from their work.

“Legally, you are,” Yuuji replied, “We adopted you as soon as the topic arose.”

“That’s right we did,” Kira said. She flicked her hair and glared at Hikari. “I suggest that you show a little more gratitude towards the people that took you in.”

“‘Gratitude’? What gratitude?” Hikari looked back and forth between the two, specifically at Yuuji.

“How dare you question our loving support!” Kira yelled. Hikari switched her glare target and looked straight at her cold, black eyes.

“If there was _any_ ‘loving support’, then I wouldn’t be acting this way.”

“Why you little-” Kira raised her hand, but something stopped her.

“Kira, if this continues, then we would look like savages. Plus we wouldn’t be able to fully transfer her to the Academy.” Kira looked at her husband and placed her head on his shoulder.

“I’m sorry, Yuuji. I just got carried away.” Yuuji held her and looked at Hikari.

“We have been more than kind to you and this is how you repay us?” he asked, “Your mother is now becoming upset over an idiotic situation. If you hadn’t-” Hikari turned on her heels and left the room. Once she was in her own bedroom, she saw the Lobelia school uniform lying on her bed. Next to it was a note addressed to her.

“ _Attend the Zuka club meeting tomorrow after school, sweet angel. Benio_ ” Hikari bit her lips and tore the letter into shreds.

“Like hell I’m their daughter. Why did they even adopt me if I’m worth nothing to them!” Hikari felt her body beginning to tremble.

“When ever I get into a fight with them, I always wonder why I’m here,” Hikari whispered. Her throat began to tighten as her vision became a blur. She shook her head and rubbed her eyes.

“No, I will not cry. I will not stoop down to their level.” Hikari ran out onto her balcony and looked up at the night sky. It was a clear night with every star shining brightly down on her.

_I’ll be fine_ , she thought to herself. Slowly, her body laid itself onto the balcony floor, her eyes closed, and her mind drifted off to sleep.

[At Lobelia]

_Lobelia = too bright_. Hikari wrote. Her eyes were glued to her paper as she headed towards her new school. The campus was large like Ouran’s but the buildings appeared as if they were made of glass. As she walked, she heard Natasha’s voice in her head.

“I know this might sound risky, but maybe you should try to get yourself kicked out. Maybe that way, Yuuji and Kira can’t make you attend, and you’ll have to go back to Ouran.” She then laughed. “I’m sure if behaved like Hikaru would in such a situation, I believe you’d be out of here in no time.”

The thought of Hikaru made a sharp pain in Hikari’s chest. A hand touched her shoulder and swung her around.

“Ah, sweet angel,” the voice said, “You look so pure and lovely in our uniform.” Hikari sighed and lifted Benio’s hand off her shoulder.

“Would you please stop doing that?” Hikari asked, “It really gets on my nerves.” Benio looked at her for a moment and then laughed.

“You’re such a good actress,” she replied, spinning around in circles. “You must spread this talent and teach it to others who wish to follow your footsteps.” She bowed and held Hikari’s hand. As Benio rose, she pulled Hikari to her, close enough that benio’s lips were next to Hikari’s ear.

“And there’s no way for you to see those idiots from that host club ever again.” Hikari’s drew a sharp breath and pulled herself away from Benio. She was about to speak, but decided that she was in the wrong place to say it. She instead headed towards the school of glass.

The inside of Lobelia was similar to Ouran’s: Tall ceilings, large classrooms, long stairways, it almost looked identical…except it was as white as a lily, which burned Hikari’s eyes. _Lilies_ , she began to write in her notebook, _Are too bright as well!_

The day went by at a slow pace, which made Hikari fall asleep in most of her classes. Finally, the dismissal bell rang and Hikari suddenly found herself in an empty classroom.

“What the hell?” she mumbled. Her eyes lingered towards the door. Thousands of high school girls gathered in the hallway wearing their school skirts and a pink Tee shirt. Everyone seemed excited. Hikari grabbed her school bag and tried to cut through the crowd in order to get outside.

“E-excuse me!” Hikari screamed as she attempted to squeeze her way through. None of the crazy girls seemed to hear. In the direction that Hikari was headed, she heard someone scream, “Here they come!” Once the fellow females at St. Lobelia high heard this, they all began to scream as loud as they could.

“These fans remind me of the guests back with the host club,” Hikari said aloud. As she felt her way through, she thought that she saw a girl look vaguely familiar. She had long brown hair and bright brown eyes. Her displeased look reminded her of someone she knew.

“I don’t have time for this,” Hikari said aloud, “I’ve got to find a way out of here.” Hikari tried to swim through the sea of girls, but a hand grabbed her shoulder and dragged her further.

“Sweet angel, I was worried that we had lost you.” Hikari brushed her hand off and walked on forward.

“My my,” Chizuru said, “She still doesn’t seem to be pleased with her new scenery.”

“She’ll eventually adapt to our ways. Right, Benibara-sama?” Hinako asked with delight. Benio chuckled.

“Of course she will. She has no choice,” The three followed Hikari out the main doors onto the Lobelia campus. “She knows that if she were to try and return to those ruthless men, her secret would be reviled.”

[Meanwhile…with the Host members]

“AAAAAHHHHH!!!!!!!!!! MY DAUGHTER, WHERE ARE YOU??????” Tamaki screamed. He began to tug on his blonde hair and he stomped around the third music room. Kyouya continued to type on his pineapple notebook with Honey looking over his shoulder.

“Would you please stop screaming, Tamaki? You’re making my head hurt,” Kyouya commented. Tamaki looked at his brother with tears running down his face.

“But Brother,” Tamaki began, “My daughter is lost in the Zuka club. Who knows what might happen to her. What if they try to do something improper? Something like…”

{Tamaki’s inner cinema}

_Hikari’s back is facing the audience. She looks like she’s ready to perform in a Juliet costume._

HIKARI: Oh my love.

BENIO: Sweet angel. Come, let me kiss thy lips, and take away those memories of your wretched father.

HIKARI: Of course you may…

_The two of them lean in lips slowly approaching closer…_

{We interrupt this movie with:}

“DON’T YOU DARE THINK ABOUT STUFF LIKE THAT!” The three boys looked at the door and saw Hikaru, his eyes filled with fire and rage and aiming them at Tamaki.

“Hikaru, calm, down,” Kaoru said in a soothing voice. Hikaru smacked his fist against the door and began to tremble in anger.

“Where’s Takashi?” Honey asked looking behind the twins. Mori was behind the twins and were carrying what seemed to be two people. They were both wearing Lobelia uniforms, but none of them resembled Hikari.

“What happened to my Haruhi?” Tamaki screamed in a dramatic tone. Mori placed another girl in Kaoru’s arms and rested Haruhi on a sofa.

“Yumi-chan?” Kaoru whispered, “Are you alright?” Yumi slowly opened her eyes and looked around the room.

“…we’re…back at Ouran?” she asked weakly.

“Yes you are,” Kaoru said in relief. “What happened?”

“Those crazy fan girls of the Zuka Club made it super difficult to try and find Hikari,” Yumi answered.

“Yeah, it was,” Haruhi said coming to her senses, “We couldn’t find her anywhere.” The Host club was silent. Hikaru’s anger was building up, but before he could explode, Tamaki took the silence to recite a speech.

“Listen, my little children,” he said, “We must not give up hope on our daughter. She is out there and we will find her. I will do my best to keep this family together and to help her fulfill the wishes of her and her late parents’ dream. Listen closely, I’ve got a good idea.”

Tamaki spoke of his plan to his members and Haruhi was half listening. She looked out the window and watched the orange rays of the setting sun seep into the room. _Hikari, please be patient. You will come out of there alive and you will come back to Ouran_.

[However…]

“Why do I have to be in your show?” Hikari asked the Zuka Club. “The only part that I’m playing in this game is the fact that I have to be here. I’m not obligated to do anything else.” She threw the script on the floor and headed towards the exit.

“There’s no way for you to leave Lobelia now that you’re in, sweet angel. You are bound by Lobelia policy to remain here for at least three years before considering transferring schools.” Benio said.

“And since you only have three years of high school,” Hinako began, “you don’t have to worry about going back to your old school ever.” Hikari ignored them and grabbed the handle towards the door.

“Sweet angel, you know that you can’t resist us,” Benio threatened. Hikari’s grip on the handle tightened.

“You know nothing about me and have nothing to offer me to persuade me to stay. Therefore, I’ll take my leave.”

“You love to write.” Hikari froze. “You like to write stories about young girls fighting dragons and having handsome princes at their sides. How cute.” Hikari began to bite her lower lip. She heard pages being rustled around behind her. _Those aren’t_ … She thought. She whipped her head around and saw the Zuka club members looking through her writing notebooks.

“This is really good writing,” Hinako said with a hint of impression in her voice. “You should write stories for our performances.”

“Oh my,” Chizuru said as she turned red, “This scene is interesting.” Hikari knew what she was talking about. Before she could snatch it out of Chizuru’s hands, Benio began to read it aloud.

“ _How I longed to be with him. He makes my heart bang against my chest. The way he holds me when I go to sleep; his warm arms wrapped around my cold body. His voice is deep and enchanting, making me hold my breath when he speaks. His lips, soft and warm, just like his kisses._ ” Benio looked up at Hikari and back into the book. “Who are you referring to?” she asked. Hikari felt a heat wave run up her spine.

“Th-that’s none of your business,” She yelled. Benio chuckled, placing her head on her fingers.

“Ah, I see now. Sweet angel, could it be that you’re referring to a host member?” Hikari looked at the floor. She felt as if this club was looking deep inside her like a dissection experiment in biology class. She felt embarrassed and humiliated.

“The prince of your life sounds like-” but Benio was cut off short. Hikari raised her hand and slapped her across the face, just like she did to Kyouya.

“Never EVER look into my life EVER again!” And with that she left the room and slammed the door behind her.

The next day was the same as before, except Hikari was trying her hardest to keep her distance from the crazy Zuka club. During her lunch break, she was planning on eating in the garden when she head familiar voices.

“…she be?”

“She has to be in the school somewhere. We just have to look harder.”

“Yumi-chan, I’m surprised that you’re this positive about this plan.”

“Of course I am. We have to save Hikari from those three witches!” Hikari rushed over to the gardens to find two girls sitting on a crystal white bench. The two of them looked at her for a second when one of them screamed with joy.

“Hikari-chan!” She wrapped her arms around her neck forbidding to let her go. “Oh thank god that you’re alright.”

“Yumi-chan?” Hikari said in shock. She looked over at the other girl and recognized her from the day before.

“You can’t be Haruhi,” Hikari said. The girl slightly pouted.

“You don’t have to sound that happy that I’m here,” Haruhi said with heavy sarcasm in her tone.

“I’m sorry,” Hikari said, “I’m just not used to you with long hair.” Haruhi ran her fingers through her brown hair and sighed.

“Well, this wig is scratching my head a lot, which makes it very uncomfortable.” Haruhi took of her wig and scratched her head. Hikari smiled in relief.

“What are you two here for anyway?” She asked.

“We’re here to rescue you, silly,” Yumi answered. Haruhi nodded.

“How’s it going by the way? Here at this school, I mean.” Hikari looked at the ground.

“It’s really frustrating.” She gripped onto her skirt, “Benio yesterday read aloud a passage that I was working on and it made me feel…” Hikari tried to find the right word, but she couldn’t find one.

“They’ll try to win your loyalty over by tapping into your weakness. They did that to me last year when Benio-san pretended that this performance was her dream and it involved her mother somehow.” Haruhi turned to Hikari. “It’s alright though, because we’re getting you out.” Hikari felt relieved and smiled again.

“Tamaki-senpai is driving me crazy, though,” Haruhi stretched her arms up before continuing. “He keeps on mentioning how the Zuka Club is going to do improper things to his daughter and how we should send a search party and stuff. He really drives me crazy.” Yumi giggled.

“He’s also not the only one who’s worried,” she said. “Hikaru has been mad as hell since your disappearance.”

“He has?” Hikari asked.

“Of course!” Yumi answered, “Every time Tamaki-kun freak out about what might happen to you, Hikaru sends these death glares that drive him crazy. That host club is sure entertaining.” The Lobelia bell rang a soft tune to end the lunch break.

“Anyway, don’t worry,” Haruhi assured placing her wig back on, “We’re going to get you out of here.” And with that, the three went into Lobelia ready to leave when the dismissal bell stroke. Hikari waited impatiently until then, trying to make time pass by faster by writing down the characteristics of three witches. Once she heard a soft ringing, she grabbed her things and ran towards the exit gates.

She saw Yumi and Haruhi waiting for her at the school gateway. _Awesome! I’m outta here_. Hikari reached the gate and was about to speak when the ground beneath her feet disappeared. Suddenly, all three girls were falling into a black pit.

“WHAT THE HELL?!” Haruhi screamed.

“WOW! This is just like in Alice and Wonderland!” Yumi commented.

“Now is not the time to be amazed by our situation!” Haruhi screamed back.

“All that matters is if we will land in one piece,” Hikari pointed out. Luckily, they did fall on something soft. It was something pillow like that easily absorbed the impact of their fall.

“Welcome, my little caged angels,” said a familiar voice. The lights turned on and Hikari found herself trapped in a cage. She, Yumi and Haruhi were locked in a cage in the Lobelia Academy.

“I knew that the Sweet angel would try to fly away, but I never would have thought that the fair maiden would follow her.” Haruhi rubbed her temples as she remembered her title as “fair maiden”.

“And who’s that girl?” Hinako pointed out, “I don’t think we’ve seen her before.” Benio walked at the three hostages and examined Yumi. Hikari could tell that she was uncomfortable with the situation.

“She’s a cute one too. A little bird in a cage.”

“What do you mean ‘A little bird in a cage’?” Yumi shouted. _She is not one for those damsel in distress refernces_ , Hikari thought to herself.

“Sweet angel, do your parents know about your writing?” Benio asked. Hikari swallowed the topic down her throat. She clenched her teeth together, preventing the anger building up inside of her explode.

“They don’t know? Well, then they should know, shouldn’t they?” She held one of Hikari’s notebooks in her hands waving it around like a fan.

“This is going too far,” Haruhi protested, “I know you guys want her, but isn’t this just beneath you?” Benio smiled.

“We’ve learned that if we want something and it’s easy to obtain, then we will gain it,” Benio responded.

“I’m still failing to see the point,” Haruhi said.

“It doesn’t matter now, fair maiden. Since you’re here, we can transfer you here as well. You always looked best in the Lobelia uniform.” The three began to exit when Yumi yelled back.

“You think that you’re the best just because you think that you can destroy the host club?”

“Correction,” Benio said pointing her index finger upward, “I _know_ that I can destroy that club.”

“Then let’s see you fight us off,” screamed a masculine voice. Benio began to look worried.

“Tamaki-senpai?” Hikari and Haruhi said aloud. A figure fell through the ceiling, creating a smoke cloud around him causing the three hostages to cough. Once it cleared, Hikari saw Tamaki…in what appeared to be a knight’s costume.

“What the…?” Hikari mumbled. Haruhi nodded. Tamaki drew a sword and pointed it towards the ceiling.

“I am here to save my beloved wife and daughter,” Tamaki announced. Benio brushed her bangs aside.

“Too bad. You’re too late.” She pulled something from her pocket and let it dangle on her fingers.

“The key,” Tamaki mumbled. Benio threw it in the air and caught it.

“I guess that you can’t save them without this.” Tamaki stabbed the floor with his sword and leaned on it.

“Senpai, that suit must be really heavy,” Haruhi pointed out. Tamaki looked at her longingly through the bars. Hikari noticed that Tamaki was shaken by Haruhi’s appearance as a female.

“It’s alright,” he said. He faced Benio with his arms open wide. “I can still let them escape.” Benio laughed.

“How so, when I hold the key?” Tamaki snapped his fingers and the lights turned off. A spot light turned on and shone on someone else in the corner of the room. Hikari couldn’t see who he was because he tilted his top hat at an angle that covered his face, but judging by his costume, he appeared to be a magician. He then extended a hand that held a wand and aimed it at the cage. With a swift movement of his wrist, the cage turned into rose petals.

“Of course I could report you to the principle for holding students from another school hostage on their property,” said the magician.

“Isn’t that,” Haruhi began.

“Kyouya-senpai?” Hikari finished. Kyouya lifted his hat and bowed.

“My family is well acquainted with the principle of this school. I’m sure that she won’t be pleased by what’s been happening for the past couple of days.” Chizuru turned on the lights and Hikari, for the first time, saw fear in Benio’s eyes.

“Chizuru, Hinako, keep them from escaping!” Benio screamed. As her two companions began to charge, something prevented them from passing. Mori and Honey were in their karate uniforms and blocked them. Tamaki ran towards Haruhi and helped her to her feet.

“This can’t be happening!” Benio said in shock.

“You better believe that it’s happening,” said a voice behind Hikari. She felt his arms wrap around her waist and a chin placed on her shoulder. “If you’ve done anything to my girlfriend, you’re gonna get your ass wiped.”

“Hikaru?” Hikari said in shock. Benio took a step back.

“G=g-girlfriend?” She stuttered.

“That’s right, and you’ve had three of our precious princesses in a cage,” said another voice. Hikari looked and saw Kaoru leaning on Yumi. He wore regular clothes…but added cat ears and a cat tail. Hikari placed her hand on Hikaru’s head and felt that Hikaru also had a pair of cat ears on his head.

“Why are you wearing cat ears?” Hikari asked. Hikaru chuckled.

“Because I tend to act like an alley cat when I sneak onto your balcony,” he purred into her ear. Hikari flustered as Tamaki approached Benio.

“Do you still think that you can erase the host club?” Benio hesitated before responding.

“You may have won the battle, but the war is not over. I will have the fair maiden and the sweet angel enrolled in this school.” With that, she dropped Hikari’s notebook and she along with the rest of the Zuka Club twirled their way out of the room.

“They’re getting away!” Yumi screamed.

“Don’t worry,” Kaoru said, “They can’t get far.”

“That’s right,” Tamaki said triumphantly, “They know that they cannot win against the host club.” He turned around and faced Hikari.

“See,” he said with a wink, “I told you that I’d keep this family together.” Hikari couldn’t help but smile. Tamaki then hugged Haruhi.

“HARUHI! You look so cute in a girl’s uniform!” Haruhi didn’t reply. Hikari broke away from Hikaru and picked up the notebook that Benio dropped and held it close to her chest. _Either way_ , she thought, _I’m still enrolled at Lobelia_.

“By the way,” Kyouya interrupted. “I sent a note to the Niwazaki’s saying that they should send you back to Ouran.” Hikari looked up and stared at him in amazement. “They cannot refuse a recommendation from a family member of the Ootori group.” He added with a smile.

“That’s good to hear,” Haruhi said looking over at Hikari. She pinched Tamaki’s hand to let her go and she walked over to her friend. “That is good that you’re coming back, right?” Hikari snapped out of her world and nodded.

“It is,” she said, “My head is filled with so many thoughts right now, it’s making my head hurt. First I was at Lobelia, then I’m in a cage, and now I’m switching again.” She stood up and smiled at the host club.

“But I am really glad that you came to get me.” Honey jumped onto Hikari’s back and squeezed her tightly.

“YAY! Now Hiri-chan can stay with us,” he said.

“That’s right,” Hikari said weakly. A cell phone ringtone caught everyone’s attention. Kyouya answered it with a smile.

“Hey, would you be so kind as to pick Hikari up?...Yeah, she’s safe…I think she’ll tell you everything in the car…Okay, I’ll see you later,” he said and hung up. The twins smirked.

“That’s couldn’t have been Natasha, couldn’t it?” Hikaru asked.

“It must have been,” Kaoru answered, “What other reason is there to make Kyouya-senpai smile so much?”

“Do I have to teach you two a lesson in keeping your nose out of other people’s businesses?” Kyouya threatened. The twins shivered with fear and moved away from him.

“I guess you’re back in this crazy club,” Haruhi said.

“I guess so.”

[Two weeks later]

{The Host Club is Open}

“I heard what you did at the St. Lobelia Academy,” one of the girls screamed out loud to Tamaki. Hiroki froze in the middle of his writing and turned around. Tamaki looked as shocked as he was along with the rest of the host club.

“Where did you hear such a story?” Tamaki asked.

“Well, Hiroki wrote something about seven saviors saving three princesses from three evil witches,” another one answered. Tamaki stood up and searched for Hiroki, who was hiding behind a food cart. “Then Kyouya-senpai overheard us asking where he got theses ideas and he told us everything,” she finished. Tamaki ended his hunt for Hiroki and aimed for Kyouya. Kyouya was leaning against a pillar with a pleased smile on his face.

“Kyouya!” Tamaki said with anger.

“Well, someone caused us so much trouble that that person had to pay the price,” he said looking over at Hiroki’s hiding spot.

_I suddenly feel like I’m being watched_ , he thought to himself. With a sigh he stood up and walked over to Kyouya.

“What are you writing, if I may ask?”

“The plans for Halloween,” he answered.

“Halloween?” Hiroki repeated, “Isn’t that a couple of weeks away?”

“Indeed it is, Hiroki-kun,” Tamaki flashed out. “This year, we’re going to put on the best cosplay to the ladies. So we have to prepare early in order to make it the most memorable.” As Tamaki continued to discuss ideas for Halloween, Hiroki noticed that Kyouya was staring blankly in front of him.

  _I wonder what’s on his mind_ , Hiroki thought. He shrugged as an answer and returned to his stories. Without lifting his head, Kyouya glanced over at Hiroki before closing his eyes. 

“And so it will begin. The downfall of the Niwazaki’s.”


	13. Halloween Special—Scarlet Romance

“So Hikari, what’s the Host Club’s plan for Halloween?” Natasha asked with delight.

“I’m not sure yet,”Hikari replied, “Kyouya-senpai and Tamaki-senpai are going to announce it today.” She was staring out the window, nibbling on her blueberry muffin. Natasha giggled.

“I remember when Kyouya dressed up for Halloween for the first time. He looked so cute!” Hikari glanced into the rear-view mirror.

“Kyouya-senpai dressed up for Halloween? That can’t be true.” Natasha shook her head.

“I believe he dressed up as a little werewolf. He tried to cover himself up with fur and he had to use cat ears instead of dog ones because it was the only pair he could find on such short a notice.” Hikari tried to imagine Kyouya dressing up like a werewolf. Her result was him as a wolf with glasses and an Ouran uniform. She couldn’t restrain herself from laughing.

The thought haunted her throughout the day. Whenever she saw Kyouya in the hallway, Hikari would turn away and bite her lips together. She had a feeling that he wasn’t too pleased with her constantly turning away from him, but she believed that it was better than laughing in his face.

“May I inquire to ask what indulges you to turn your head from me every time I see you?” He bluntly asked when Hikari entered the Host Club. She bit the sides of her cheeks and avoided eye contact.

“Well,” she began to say while trying to think of a lie to keep Natasha out of boyfriend trouble. Unfortunately, Kyouya’s glare pressured her into telling the truth. “Natasha sorta told me about how you dressed up as a werewolf when you were younger, and-” Kyouya whipped out his phone and began to dial ruthlessly on it.Hikari quickly snatched it out of his hands.

“Please don’t do anything stupid, Kyouya-senpai. It was my fault. I asked her about it,” she lied. Kyouya glared at her for a moment before shifting his focus onto the phone she held hostage.

“Fine,” he said adjusting his glasses, “Just give me my phone back.” Hikari hesitated and looked into his dark eyes.

“What’s my price?” she asked. Kyouya’s expression didn’t change, but there was a pause before he answered.

“Price?” he repeated, “There’s no price. What on earth are you talking about?” He grabbed the phone out of Hikari’s hand and dialed a number.

“It’s me, I was wondering if you could help our club for our Halloween special…of course you’d be able to come with her…alright. Then I’ll call you later and give you details…I love you too. Bye” Kyouya hung up the phone and gave Hikari an evil smirk.

_Uh-oh_ , Hikari thought.

“Natasha is going to help us with our costumes and setting,” he said, “I hope you don’t mind.” Hikari slowly exhaled in relief.

“Well, it’s not my first choice, but I’ll accept it as punishment.”

“Excellent.” Hikari took out her phone and began to dial Haruhi’s number.

“Hikari,” Kyouya interrupted, “Where do you keep your writing books?” Hikari hesitated in her answer. She felt it strange for him to ask such a question.

“Why do you need to know?” she asked.

“If you think that I’m going to blackmail you, I won’t. Natasha would kill me if I did something like,” Kyouya answered. _He has a point there_ , she thought.

“They’re in the back of my closet, in the back of my sink cupboard, my desk at school, in the back of this room, in-”

“Are your books anywhere else in the house besides your room?” Kyouya interrupted. Hikari shook her head.

“I don’t hide my notebooks outside of my room except here at school.”

“Is it possible that you could bring your notebooks here?” Kyouya asked. Hikari gave Kyouya a questioning look.

“Is there any particular reason that you want to know?” she responded.

“Considering the fact that the Zuka Club was able to get your notebooks that easily made me think about how the Niwazaki family could get their hands on it too.” This thought never occurred to Hikari. She had always thought that Yuuji and Kira would never dare enter her bedroom without her being in there.

“You don’t think that they would search for my notebooks, do you?”

“It’s quite possible considering what’s been happening recently with your stories going around,” Kyouya admitted.

“Okay, I’ll move them, but to where?”

“Bring you’re notebooks to you’re new home!” Hikari and Kyouya turned to see Tamaki at the front the room with open arms. Sparkles seemed to have surrounded his face as he wore his goofy smile.

“Senpai, could you please move out of the doorway?” Haruhi asked from behind. Tamaki took offense and struck a dramatic pose.

“Haruhi! How can you say such a thing?” Tamaki protested. Haruhi ignored his comment and walked in front of him, approaching Hikari and Kyouya.

“Is everything alright?” she asked.

“Yeah,” Hikari replied, “Kyouya-senpai was just suggesting that I move my notebooks from my room to here in the host club.”

“That actually might be a good idea,” Haruhi seconded, “That way, you know for a fact that your notebooks are safe from the people you’re living with.”

“But how do I get them all over here?” Hikari posed, “It’ll be too obvious if I do it all at once.”

“Just do it in shifts,” Kyouya suggested. “Natasha won’t mind helping you out.”

“Of course she wouldn’t mind,” Haruhi said, “Natasha’s family.”

“Then I guess it’s settle then,” Hikari concluded walking past them to get to her changing room.

“Wait, Hikari,” Tamaki called out, “Don’t you want to know what we’re doing for our Host Club Halloween special?”

“I think I already know,” Hikari answered flately. Tamaki’s mouth dropped open and his eyes showed utter and complete shock. Immediately, he went into his corner.

“Tamaki-senpai,” Haruhi said with pity, “Hikari reads a lot of books and knows what creatures most of the girls are into.”

“Actually, Tono, it’s pretty obvious what the outcome might be.” Hikari turned around and saw the twins entering the room. They, as usual, spoke in unison.

“Girls nowadays—”

“—prefer two creatures that are against each other in most myths.”

“Basically meaning,”

“Werewolves and Vampires!” screamed a feminine voice. The ground began to shake and part as Renge began to rise again on her spinning platform. Hikari began to look around frantically for a hiding spot, but the club’s manager’s platform stopped with her facing Hikari. _Crap, what am I gonna do?_

“It’s been a tradition passed down through centuries of story telling that werewolves and vampires are never to coexist together,” Renge began, dramatically posing with one arm extended and the other pressed against her forehead. Hikari quickly saw a rubber band on a food cart near her. “Werewolves are told to be more violent and emotional than vampires, who tend to act as cold as their non-beating hearts.” She quickly grabbed it and tied her hair in ponytail, accidentally pulling her own hair out, so as to look like Hiroki.

“I know! We should have Hiroki-kun write up some new vampire werewolf tales about…” Renge’s eyes fell upon Hikari. “Oh…my…” The twins suddenly stood in front of Renge swinging their arms around.

“Renge-kun, it’s not what you think,” Kaoru explained.

“Yeah, this isn’t what you think it is,” Hikaru emphasized, but Renge didn’t listen. She hopped off her platform, pushed the twins out of her way, and approached Hikari.

“P-please don’t look at me like that,” Hikari said in a deep voice that belonged to Hiroki, “Many of the Moe girls asked me if I could wear the girls uniform for a cosplay, so I did it. I was about to take it off, but…” Hikari blushed from embarrassment. Renge stared at her with stars in her eyes.

“Hiroki-kun…” she whispered longingly, “I understand. I will keep this cosplay a secret. It’s just too powerful. You actually look like a girl! I’m so pleased that I will eat three bowls of rice today!” She squealed with the thought of Hikari looking and acting completely like a girl.

_Well at least she didn’t figure out who I was_ , Hikari thought in relief. Renge climbed back onto her platform and posed once more before it began to lower itself into the ground. As quickly as she appeared, Renge vanished beneath the floor of third music room.

“So we’re gonna be vampires again?” Honey asked breaking the silence. “Can Usa-chan be a were-rabbit though?” Tamaki didn’t answer. He couldn’t because he was still recovering from the shock of Hikari improvising quickly to cover up her identity from their manager.

“That was quick thinking there, Hikari,” Hikaru said. Hikari nodded in relief while trying to pull the rubber band out of her tangled hair.

“Here, let me help,” Hikaru offered. Hikari didn’t have time to respond. Hikaru began to gently take out the painful rubber band out of her hair. His fingers brushed against her neck a bit, sending electric chills down her spine. She hadn’t even noticed how swiftly he removed the band until he finally said, “There you go.”

“Thanks,” Hikari said in total shock. Hikaru smiled in return. Suddenly, her heart beat picked up. _He’s never smiled like that before_ , she thought to herself. His smile was gentle compared to his smirks and grins. It reflected what Hikari saw in his eyes. The gold shining brightly, showing an emotion that she never thought she’d see in a guy like him. Clapping hands drew her attention away.

“Now now, we can’t be slacking around when there’s a Halloween special to prepare,” Yumi said as she entered the room. She wore the Ouran male uniform with her black hair down struck an exotic pose, one that resembled a dancer finishing a segment in their number. Hikari and Haruhi looked over at Kaoru who was speechless in her presence.

“Mimi-chan, why are you wearing our uniform?” Honey asked. Yumi held up a peace sign.

“Since both Hikari-chan and Haruhi-chan are disguising themselves as guys, I thought that I should too!” Everyone fell silent. “Just kidding. I just wanted to see what I’d look like in the Ouran uniform.” Honey jumped up and down with joy.

“Mimi-chan looks super cute!” he replied. Yumi struck a different pose. This time, she resembled Tamaki, holding her chin in between her thumb and index finger and resting the elbow on her other arm.

“You think? Maybe for this Halloween I’ll be an Ouran student.”

“Like that’ll ever happen.” Hikari and Haruhi looked over in Hikaru’s direction. His arms were folded across his chest and he showed a displeased look on his face. Yumi loosened her pose and placed a hand on her hip.

“Why do you think I can’t? It’s Halloween. You can be anything you want on Halloween.”

“Well, you just can’t,” Hikaru spat back, “We already have enough girls cross-dressing as guys in here. If any more came, then the Host Club wouldn’t be what it used to be.” The three girls just stood there. Neither of them were sure how to interpret Hikaru’s bitter attitude. Hikari felt her heart stopping for a moment, surprised by the words that came out of his mouth.

“Hikaru, that’s going too far,” Kaoru warned with a tint of anger in his voice. “Why are saying such horrible things?” Hikaru avoided eye contact.

“It’s just the truth,” he replied.

“No it isn’t,” Kaoru said, “You’ve been acted cold towards Yumi ever since we met her. Don’t deny it because I’ve seen you glaring her and acting stubborn when she makes suggestions. Why? Why Hikaru?” Hikaru didn’t answer. Instead, he just stared down at the floor; his auburn hair falling in front of his eyes so Hikari couldn’t see them. After a minute’s pause, Hikaru stomped his way towards the door.

“Do what you want. I don’t care,” he said and slammed the doors shut. The only sound that was heard in the room after Hikaru’s disappearance was the scribbling sound of Kyouya’s pencil as he wrote down some notes in his notebook.

“I’m sorry that he said that you to,” Kaoru said to Yumi, “To all of you. I’m sure he doesn’t mean it.”

“Kaoru,” Hikari began. She wanted to say, “It’s just that Hikaru is jealous of Yumi”, but she knew that it would put Kaoru’s and Yumi’s friendship on the line if that wasn’t the case. Instead, Haruhi finished the sentence.

“Are you sure that Hikaru didn’t mean what he said?” Kaoru gave a weak smile and nodded.

“Hikaru may be stubborn, but he would never do anything to hurt the people he cares about on purpose.” He looked over at Yumi. “Can I make this up to you by buying you ice cream after our club ends?” Yumi nodded her head and smiled.

{The Host Club is now Open}

It was odd opening the host club without Hikaru there. Kaoru acted exceptionally well in is absence; acting scared, alternating between a girlish and boyish character, and very friendly with the ladies at his table. Yumi stayed over in the back room working with Natasha, on the phone, about the Halloween special.

“Hiroki-kun. Hiroki-kun,” Said one of the girls at his table, “What will the Host Club be doing this Halloween?”

“I will refrain from saying any secrets, princess. Our king does not wish to spoil our Halloween special before the big night.” The girls sighed in unison, both disappointed and in awe by Hiromi’s charming nature.

“Do you have any scary tales for us this week?” another one asked.

“I wasn’t sure if you wanted some. But if that’s your wish, then I shall grant it.” He took out his notepad (different for Hikari’s notebook) and pencil and prepared himself to take orders. “Is there anything you want in particular?” Before the girls began to speak, Kyouya approached their table.

“I’m extremely sorry, my ladies. However, Hiroki is unable to give out any stories at his time.” The girls gasped and begged Kyouya to explain himself. With a chilling, yet polite smile, he answered, “Because he might give away hints about our Halloween special.”

“Awww, that’s too bad,” the girls said together.

“Yes, that’s really too bad,” Hiroki said under his breath.

{The Host Club is Now Closed}

[Later that Evening]

Hikari was organizing her notebooks, deciding on which ones she would take where and when. She had a secret list with the whereabouts of each notebook in her room and what they all carried. The problem was knowing which ones she needed first and how soon she can transfer the others so that she could have her whole collection once more. A knock on her balcony window made her jump with fright, thinking that it was a knock at her bedroom door. When she looked out, she saw a familiar figure with auburn hair leaning over her balcony.

_Hikaru?_ She thought, _No…Hikaru usually hides in the tree_. Hikari opened the door and said, “Kaoru?” Kaoru turned around and smiled.

“Yo, Sorry to disturb you,” he said.

“Not at all. Is there anything I can do for you?” Kaoru looked up at the night sky and shrugged.

“Well, I don’t think you can help, but I do have a question.” Hikari raised herself to sit on the thick, cemented railing of her balcony and placed her arm on her thighs, leaning over with curiosity.

“Does Yumi ever talk about me?” he asked quietly.

“Is there any reason why you’re asking?” Hikari said with a little smirk.

“Well…it’s just that…I think that I like her…a lot, and I asked her out over the summer, but more as a ‘lets hang out for a while before we date’ kind of vibe. But now I want to move forward and see if she feels the same way too.”

“Have you been hanging out with her?” Hikari asked.

“We’ve been hanging out every Sunday,” he answered nostalgically. Hikari noticed how Kaoru really was different from Hikaru. He seemed eager to tackle life’s troubles head on rather than snuffing them aside out of anger or jealousy. She couldn’t believe that he was the younger twin. His eyes were looking back on his dates with Yumi and his smile was remembering every time she laughed. _Kaoru really likes her_.

“Has she indicated anything about liking you more than a friend?” Hikari asked.

“That’s the thing: I have no idea,” he answered. “There are moments when it feels like she likes me that way, but then there’re moments when she treats me more as a brother than a friend.” He leaned over the balcony with his arms dangling over the railing.

“And when Hikaru said those things to her…” Hikari straightened herself up, remembering those painful words that he spoke. “ _We already have enough girls cross-dressing as guys in here_ _._ ” She gnawed on her lower lip trying to forget that he ever said such a thing.

“You know,” Kaoru said bringing Hikari out of her thoughts, “When Hikaru started liking you, I got pretty jealous.” Hikari drew a quick breath.

“Really?” she asked. Kaoru nodded.

“At first, I was jealous of Haruhi, but then I prepared myself for Hikaru to have the guts to confess his feeling to her, and for the two of them to get together. But when I saw the way Tono and she were dancing at the cultural fest last year, I knew that she wanted him and not Hikaru.” Hikari’s heart began to ache. _That’s right_ , she thought, _Hikaru used to like Haruhi…Everyone used to like her a lot_.

“What was Hikaru’s reaction? To Haruhi’s decision, I mean.”

“Hikaru said very little and acted like his heart was broken,” Kaoru answered, “He never told Haruhi that he liked her in some way. She was the first to tell us a part and she was the first to make Hikaru want to take care of someone other than me. He felt that he couldn’t ruin her happiness with the news that he liked her.” Hikari’s heart began to throb against her chest. The feeling of running under her bed was taking over her mind, but her body refused to move.

“Do you think he’s over Haruhi?” Hikari asked in a shaky voice. Kaoru looked at her and smiled.

“Completely. Once the new school year started, he was back to normal and it was like nothing happened to him.” He chuckled, “And then you came along.”

“What?”

“When Hikaru first saw you, he just thought that you were a cute girl that he could play with,” Kaoru said, “But then as time passed, he began to see that you were not an ordinary girl. Remember when he got really angry at you for telling us apart?” Hikari nodded. “Well, after you slapped Kyouya-senpai and talked about your past, Hikaru felt really bad. That’s why he came over to drop off your things.”

“I never realized that,” Hikari replied in total shock. Kaoru laughed.

“Hikaru isn’t really good at expressing his feelings, as I mentioned before. But he really tried his hardest to not scare you away and to not lose you.” Kaoru approached Hikari and whispered, “He also mentioned all of the times he kissed you.” Hikari jumped off the railing and buried her face in her hands from embarrassment. Kaoru laughed again.

“I’m just kidding, but he did tell me about three things: When he kissed your neck, his first kiss, and…” He stopped short lost in thought.

“What? What else?” Hikari asked.

“Well, it’s a secret, so you’re going to have to wait. Let’s just say that you didn’t get it yet.” Hikari began to pout.

“But that being the point,” He grabbed Hikari’s hands and smiled his friendly smile. “Please don’t take what Hikaru said personally. He really does like you. He talks about you constantly and can’t wait to see you everyday. Please forgive him?”

“I’ll forgive him when he apologizes,” Hikari said.

“Fair enough.”

“But enough about your brother and me, let’s move onto you and Yumi.” Kaoru blushed. “Hikaru is just really jealous, Kaoru. And you said so yourself: He’s terrible at expressing his feelings. He’s probably just scared of Yumi taking away his precious twin brother.”

“Yeah, that’s probably it,” Kaoru replied. He paused to take a deep breath before adding, “You know what? I’m going to ask her out properly.”

“Properly?” Hikari repeated. Kaoru nodded.

“I’m going to confess my feeling to her. And if she rejects me, I will accept defeat and find romance elsewhere.”

“Wow, you decide things really quickly,” Hikari said.

“That may be true. But at least Hikaru can learn a few things from me about how to be respectful to a lady,” Kaoru responded with a wink. Hikari giggled.

“Good luck!” With that to encourage him, Kaoru took his leave and Hikari went back to her notebooks. A new emotion began to stir inside of her. It wasn’t painful or sickening, but rather joyful and giddy. The only thought that flowed through her mind was everything Kaoru had said and her moments with Hikaru. Her heart beat grew louder in her ears as her cheeks began to fluster with a rosy color. _What is this feeling?_ She asked herself. She picked up a notebook that was filled with different emotion and began to write. When she finished scribbling down her descriptions, she ended with, “ _Could it be…that this is…love?_ ” Hikari shook her head at that thought.

Knocking at her bedroom door made her jump. She threw her notebooks in her closet next to her desk as quickly as she could. Once she was done, she took a deep breath.

“Come in,” she said. Yuuji entered her room. He wore his usual black suit, his hands held behind his back, and a stern look upon his face. There wasn’t any sign of his wife, which worried her. Hikari hated it when Yuuji was alone. She always received uncomfortable vibes from him.

“It took you a while to allow me to enter,” he said, “Are you hiding something?” he asked. Hikari shook her head and looked straight at him.

“You took away my happiness. There’s nothing to hide,” she replied. Yuuji made a proud smile.

“Writing little fictional stories is such a waste,” he said, “There’s no career that could allow you to live off of some silly writing.” He slowly began to walk towards her, making little detours around the room. Hikari’s gut told her two things: To stay away form him and to keep him away from her books. She swiftly walked by him towards her balcony door and gazed outside.

“If you’re done critiquing my passion, you can find your way out of my room,” she boldly said. She could see in the reflection Yuuji releasing a loud laugh.

“Did you _pay_ for this room?” he asked. Hikari bit her tongue and didn’t answer. “You are under my house and my rules and you will do what ever I say.”

“Too bad, though. I’m a ‘crazy adolescence ’, which you two define as ‘never listening to the parents’.”

“That’s true, especially since you’re from a poor, dirty family.” Hikari turned her head and glared at him.

“Never bring up my family. Your mouth and voice is too dirty to speak of their presence.”

“You’re a devilish girl, aren’t you,” he said. Hikari shrugged. _I am dating a devilish boy, after all._ “Then how about this: I can let you buy your room if you do one small thing for me.”

“I refuse,” Hikari said, “I don’t do things for people who are worried about their reputation.” She began to feel anger coming from Yuuji.

“You ungrateful little…” He wouldn’t finish his sentence. Instead, he cornered Hikari against her balcony door and lifted her chin. She moved her head as close to the window as she could to try and avoid the smell of whiskey coming from his mouth.

“We both know that you’re hiding something and Kira and I will do anything to figure it out.”

“You’ve been drinking too much booze again, haven’t you? What, did you lose a-” A loud sound echoed in Hikari’s ears. A sudden shot of hot pain rushed through her right cheek and she found herself on all fours on the floor. Red droplets began to fall, staining the whiteness of the soft carpet. Yuuji pulled out a handkerchief and rubbed his golden ring. Hikari turned around and saw that the golden spikes that held a red jewel were now stained scarlet.

“You should know your place in the world and in this house. We should have punished you years ago.” And with that, he left Hikari alone in her room.

Her body was trembling as she stared at the stained carpet. All of the nerves in her body turned off, making her feel nothing physically or mentally. She just froze like a statue.

“HIKARI!”

Hikari heard a click in her mind and suddenly began to pant, realizing that she had been holding her breath. She slowly stood up, leaning on the wall for support. Colorful dots filled her eyes as she saw her room beginning to spin. _I guess that’s what happens when you hold your breath for that long_ , Hikari thought, trying to make the situation not as serious as it needed to be. She walked over towards the balcony door and saw Hikaru lifting his leg, ready to break the glass.

“Don’t do it, Hikaru. You’ll cause more problems,” she heard someone say. She squinted her eyes and saw Kaoru holding Hikaru back.

“Let me go, Kaoru!” Hikaru shouted. Hikari quickly tried to open the door, but her shaky hands only slowed the process down. Finally, she unlocked it and ran outside.

“Hikaru, calm down!” Kaoru yelled.

“I’m gonna kill that guy if it’s the last thing I do!”

“Umm…” Hikari said. The sound of her voice made the twins stop arguing with each other. “Why are you guys here?” Kaoru let Hikaru go.

“I was coaching Hikaru to come see you, but…” His voice trailed off in thought as Hikaru cupped Hikari’s face into his hands. He traced his finger over her right side, which made Hikari wince with pain.

“I saw you,” he said, “I saw that guy slap you with the back of his hand. That ring caught my eye the moment he raised it.” Hikari touch her cut. Blood was trickling down her finger as she traced over it.

“That’s right,” she said, remembering the conversation she had with Yuuji. “I made him mad and then he…” She shrugged. “I guess I was asking for it since I was sort of mocking him.” Hikaru grabbed her shoulders tightly, forcing her to look into his golden hazel eyes.

“Don’t say that,” he said, “He was waiting to do that. I could feel it. He was just waiting for the moment to slap you.” A hand landed on Hikaru’s shoulder, which drew his eyes away from Hikari’s.

“Hikaru,” Kaoru said, “Let’s take her to our place. She’s in no condition to stay here.” Without another word, Kaoru entered her room and began to pack all of her writing notebooks. Hikaru was about to help him, but stopped in the doorway.

“Pack you’re clothes. I don’t want you living with these people anymore.” Hikari just stood there. “And,” he said, “I’m sorry about what I said earlier. I was just…”

“Jealous,” Hikari finished. Hikaru hesitated before nodding. She smiled and approached him, reaching her arms around his back to hug him.

“You really are like a child sometimes,” she said. Hikaru chuckled.

“Come on,” he said, “Start packing.”

[Next day after school]

The entire Host club was speechless when Hikari finished her tale. The only sound that was heard was the sniffling of Honey.

“Poor Hiri-chan,” he sobbed. He ran over and hugged her. “If you ever want to borrow Usa-chan you can!”

“It’s alright,” Hikari said, “Really. I’m alright.”

“But I agree with Hikaru,” Haruhi said, “You shouldn’t be living with people that hit you.”

“I know that, but the legal documents says that-”

“Those documents can be changed,” Haruhi protested. She looked over at Tamaki.

“Senapi, can’t your father do something to keep the Niwazaki’s off the school premises?” Tamaki thought about it briefly before answering.

“He might, but he’s in no condition to listen to me.” Hikari could sense Haruhi becoming angrier by the second.

“Then I’ll talk to him.” This caught Tamaki’s full attention. He appeared shocked by the words she’d spoken.

“Haruhi,” Tamaki warned, “You know as well as I do about what my father thinks of you.”

“I know,” Haruhi replied with bitterness, “But we can’t just let those people come after Hikari.” Tamaki closed his eyes in thought.

“Alright,” he said, “But…” he opened his eyes. Hikari saw a character change in him. She saw something that didn’t seem like Tamaki at all. It was a look that expressed his made-up mind. “I’m going with you.” Haruhi’s eyes widen by his answer. “My father will try to win you over rather than letting me have you.” Hikari was taken back by how completely serious he was with his idea proposal. She looked over at Haruhi, who just stared at him with admiration in her eyes.

“Fine,” she said, standing up and extending her hand towards him. He smiled and gladly grabbed it. As they began to exit, Tamaki stopped and slightly turned his head towards Hikari.

“I hope,” he said, “that you can tell us what happened to you six years ago. We’re a family, you know.” He smiled, “And family helps each other out.” He and Haruhi then left the room.

“Could Tamaki’s father really keep the Niwazaki’s off campus?” Hikari asked. Kyouya adjusted his glasses.

“He has a lot of power of this school. So it’s most probable.”

“Good,” Hikari replied with a smile. She felt that the atmosphere of the club was becoming very tense and serious. Shifting in her seat and looking around the club room didn’t help her shake off the feeling at all. Finally, she leaned back and looked over at Kaoru.

“I guess that visit you made last night was wasted,” she said. No one seemed to understand what she meant except Kaoru.

“Huh?” Hikaru said, “What are you talking about, Hikari?” Hikari smiled.

“It’s not my story to tell.” Hikaru began to pout while Hikari looked over at Kaoru. He looked at the floor and began to blush a pink color on his cheeks.

“Kaoru,” Yumi said, “Is everything alright?” He looked at her and turned completely red.

“Yes! Well, no…but…well…umm…” He looked at Hikari for support, but she offered none.

“Fine!” he said. He stood up and faced Yumi, gently taking her left hand and lowering down on one knee. Hikari bit her tongue. _You don’t have to act like you’re going to ask her to marry you_ , she thought.

“From the moment I met you,” he began, “I knew that there was something special about you. As time passed and I began to know you better and better to a point when my feelings for you grew stronger.” Yumi placed her free hand over her mouth as her eyes began to grow with surprise.

“Kayume Yumi-hime, Will you be my girlfriend?” Honey and Hikaru screamed with shock while Mori and Kyouya remained emotionless. Hikari bit her lips together, waiting for Yumi’s response. Yumi dropped her free hand and began to look serious.

“Hitachiin Kaoru,” she responded in a calming tone, “I’d be happy to be your girlfriend.” Kaoru smiled and she flew into his arms. Hikari smiled and clapped for the new couple.

“WHAT’S THIS!” The club looked and saw Tamaki pointing at the couple and then at Haruhi, “Mother, our son and daughter are now together?!” Haruhi sighed.

“Since when did Yumi become a daughter?” she asked, “She’s not part of the club.” She suddenly froze, realizing what she said. “WHY ARE YOU CALLING ME MOTHER!?” Tamaki scrunched down to the floor and began to draw little circles with his finger.

“I guess this family just keeps on getting bigger and bigger,” Kyouya said with a smirk. Hikaru wrapped his arm around Hikari, pulling her in close.

“Did you find your father, Tono?” he asked.

“No,” Haruhi answered, “We left a message and he’ll get back to us.” She walked over to Hikari and sat next to her.

“Don’t worry,” she said, “We’re going to get you out of that house.”

“And until that day,” Tamaki said in full recovery, “We will protect you like the knights you write about in your stories.” Hikari looked at each of the members of the club and smiled.

“Thank you,” she said, “And you’re right, I’ve got a family right here.”

“ALRIGHT!” Yumi screamed, “Let’s start to prepare the Halloween special with a new passion in our hearts!” Everyone raised their fists in the air and ran into the back room.

As they ran, Kyouya’s cell phone rang.

“How is she?” Asked the voice at the other end.

“She’s fine, Natasha,” he answered, “I guess the Niwazaki’s started their plan.”

“I can’t believe that they’d do this. Just because people are saying that she’s in the host club, they’re trying to make her look like a bad kid.”

“Business is a dangerous sport,” Kyouya repeated, “If there’s a business that has a family, everyone has to act accordingly. Hikari will never meet with their requirements.”

“Are you sure there’s nothing we can do?” Natasha asked desperately.

“No, I’m not sure,” He answered, “but so far, there’s nothing we can do.” He looked at the club members planning for the event and saw Hikari’s smiling face.

“Shipping a child to the other side of the globe is just horrible!” Natasha screamed. Kyouya leaned against a pillar.

“It is,” he said, “It is.”

 

 


	14. Halloween Special—A Trapped Girl and a Hungry Vampire

[Center Stage in the Host Club Room]

“Halloween! A day that declares the end of summer and the beginning of winter!” Renge recites. She turned around and struck another dramatic pose.

“Halloween! A day that humans disguise themselves with the same look as the visiting ghost and devils!” Renge spun once more and winked at her audience.

“Halloween, a day that has become a festival of costumes and tricks!”

Her audience remained as silent as night.

“Renge-chan,” Haruhi began after Renge curtsied, “Didn’t you say the same thing last year?” Renge froze.

“Yeah,” Hikaru followed, “You’re the Host Club manager, yet you’re just revisiting old ideas.”

“Maybe,” Kaoru suggested with his fingers wrapping around his chin, “Our Host Club needs a new manager.” Renge gasped and pretended to faint on stage. The twins began to laugh as Haruhi glared at them while approaching Renge with an extended hand.

“Are you alright?” she asked. Renge looked up with water in her eyes.

“Haruhi-kun…” She turned around with her tears sparkling as they fell, “I will never forget your kindness!” And with that, her stage lowered into the floor.

“Couldn’t you guys be a little nicer to her?” Haruhi asked, annoyance creeping in her voice. The twins mirrored each other with a shrug. The doors to the host club opened with Mori carrying a huge box filled with an assortment of decoration. Honey, who was on Mori’s shoulders, carried another decoration box above his head.

“Kyou-chan! Is this what you wanted?” He asked. Kyouya opened the box Mori held and inspected it with his pencil.

“Good work,” he said making a note in his notebook, “I knew that the art club would be a good place to retrieve these kinds of necessities.” Mori placed down his box and took Honey off his shoulders.

“Kyouya,” Mori called. Kyouya looked up and followed Mori’s stare. As if on cue, Hikari and Yumi stumbled through the door. One fell onto the floor followed by the other, and then the box sealed their embarrassing fate with a loud thud. Kyouya adjusted his glasses and scribbled furiously in his notebook.

“If there’re anything damaged in there, I’m going to have to charge you for the damages,” he said plainly.

“What?” Yumi cried. She she folded her legs on the floor and pouted. Hikari just sat back on her knees and opened the box.

“There’s nothing damaged, Kyouya-senpai,” she confirmed. Kyouya didn’t respond.

“Wonderful!” Tamaki expressed, “Then we’ll be ready in no time for our Halloween special!” Haruhi tugged on his jacket.

“Senpai, you know that it’s your fault that we’re starting this so late,” she pointed out.

[Earlier that week]

The host members were sitting around a table planning their Halloween special when a dog jumps up and knocks away all of the paper. It’s brown tail smacks Kyouya’s glasses off, making him extremely angry.

“TA-MA-KI!” Kyouya yelled. Tamaki ran and tried to take the dog off the table.

“Brother,” he says with puppy eyes, “Antoinette is still young. She just wants to be with people.”

[End of flashback]

“Because Antoinette was here for the past two days, we haven’t been able to get anything done.” Tamaki looks at Haruhi and then the floor, rubbing the back of his head.

“Haruhi, just let it go,” Hikari intervened, “We’re in this pinch now, so let’s just try to do the best we can.” Tamaki’s eyes suddenly glittered and he began to swing Hikari around in circles.

“Oh, my daughter! You’re so cute! I knew that you’d stand up for your father.” Hikari was about to smack Tamaki in the head when someone had beaten her to it. He suddenly let her go. Hikaru hadn’t even taken a breath when a pair of arms wrapped around her tightly.

“Sorry Tono, but I can’t allow you to swing her around so carelessly.”

“Hikaru,” Tamaki said with disgust, “You’re here to try and take my daughter away from me!” Hikaru chuckled and brought Hikari closer. _Oh boy_ , Hikari thought.

“Hey,” She interrupted, “Can we do this little scene later? We’ve got our Halloween special to prepare for and we’re nowhere near done.” Hikaru pouted, but accepted her wish. He loosened his grip and let her go. She trotted on over to a small desk by the windows and plopped down onto the cushioned chair. It was warm from the sunrise that beamed in, and it inspired her to pump out those Halloween tales.

“She seems to be recovering exceedingly well,” Kyouya quietly commented behind Hikaru. He couldn’t help but smile.

“Yeah,” Hikaru agreed, “She defiantly seems happier than before.”

“Kyouya-senpai,” Haruhi intervened, “Hikari is staying in one of your hotels, right?” Kyouya nodded.

“The Ootori group sent them a letter saying that we needed Hikari for a while and that she will be away from their care,” He answered.

“That should give us enough time to change guardianship, right?” Kyouya nodded again.

“But Kyouya-senpai,” Hikaru whined, “Why doesn’t Hikari stay with a host member? Or specifically, me?”

“If Hikari stayed with any of the host members, it could cause a disturbance on the host’s parents’ side,” he answered.

“Therefore, causing problems that could wouldn’t shine in Hikari’s favor,” Tamaki finished. Kyouya smiled, as if proud that Tamaki wasn’t always acting as a crazy Host King.

Haruhi looked over at Hikari, who was observing at Kaoru and Yumi. They were digging through some photos Yumi had taken for the Halloween special and laughing at the ones they particularly liked.

Haruhi quietly walked towards Hikari. “It’s a good thing that this special is coming,” She said. Hikari shrugged, trying to hide her smile.

“It’s no big deal.” She glanced up at her friend, allowing part of her lip to curl. “It’s really nice that I don’t have to do anything anymore.” Haruhi repositioned herself to Hikair’s left and began to help her organize her stories. She was amazed by the quantity of work Hikari produced.

“You wrote this all in just a couple of days?” She asked. Hikari nodded.

“Since I don’t have to hide, I write constantly. It’s so refreshing and…exciting.”

“If you think that writing’s exciting, wait until you see our costumes.” Hikari shifted her eyes over to see Hikaru staring down at her.

“What are you talking about, Hikaru?” Hikaru sauntered on over to the right of Hikari’s desk and revealed a rack of different costumes. Kaoru picked out something brown and furry.

“This is a werewolf costume that our mother made,” he said unfolding it off the hanger. There was less of the costume than Hikari had imagined. They were a pair of jeans that had rips all over. In the tear, little bits of fur were trying to escape as if the bottom half of a werewolf was actually trying to tear through the fabric. The tail, however, had successfully torn through the back of the jeans.

“Kaoru, that’s amazing!” Yumi praised. Kaoru blushed.

“It wasn’t much. Mom did most of the work.” He took out a pair of what appeared to be wolf ears. “And then on top, those chosen to be a werewolf have to wear these. Oh, and you’re not allowed to wear a shirt.” Hikari and Haruhi noticed Yumi’s eyes sparkle with joy.

“Which reminds me,” Tamaki interrupted, “I have the cast list for our Halloween special.” From a pocket inside his jacket, Tamaki pulled out a folded piece of paper and cleared his throat.

“For our werewolves, we have Mori-senpai, Honey-senpai, Kaoru, and the one and only, me!” He spun around and stuck a pose, holding his chin with his right hand.

“So then that means—” Haruhi began.

“—that the other four are vampires?” Hikari finished. The two girls looked at each other and then back at Tamaki.

“This was carefully thought out to hide your identities from our lovely guests,” Tamaki said, “If you were to be werewolves, you would have to be topless.” Hikari shuttered at the thought of being topless.

“Then it’s a good thing you factored that in,” Haruhi said out of breath. Hikari noticed how Tamaki’s comment knocked the wind out of her **and** Haruhi.

“Aw man,” Hikaru said bringing Hikari to her senses.

“What is it?” She asked, trying to calm down her imagination. Hikaru cupped her right cheek and brought his mouth towards her left ear.

“I was hoping to see more of that feminine figure of yours,” He purred. Hikari felt a heat wave run up her spine and her face turned bright red. Hikaru chuckled, kissed the slash across her cheek, and went towards the costumes to help Kaoru. Hikari held her cheek, keeping the memory of Hikaru’s warm lips against her scorching hot face.

“Hikari wishes that she can grant Hikaru just that.” Hikari jumped in her spot as she whipped her head around to see Yumi glaring at her with a smirk on her face. Hikari wanted to speak, but her voice was in shock that it didn’t dare to come out of her throat.

“Yumi-chan,” Haruhi said, “Please focus on getting things ready.” Yumi pushed out her lips and crossed her arms.

“But I’m doing everything I can to help. And I’m not even a host character.” Kaoru placed his hands on her shoulders, which caused her to drop her arms.

“I’ll tell you what though,” he said, “You can be the head designer and you can tell Natasha what you want where and how it should be placed.” Yumi turned around with the stars returning to her eyes.

“Can I make things really scary?” she pleaded lacing her fingers together. Kaoru nodded, which made Yumi scream with joy.

“Kaoru,” Kyouya said when Yumi locked herself in the back room, “I thought we agreed that Natasha was going to handle the decoration order.” Kaoru wasn’t surprised when Kyouya said the last part through his teeth.

“Because, Senpai, I can be with my lovely girl on Halloween and protect her from all of those demons that roam the earth after the twilight hour.” Hikari enjoyed seeing Kyouya frustrated. She couldn’t understand why, but from what she knew, Kyouya was upset that his girlfriend got demoted by a high school girl.

“I also believe that you wanted to be there with your girlfriend on the night of Hallows Eve after so many years, Kyouya-senpai,” Kaoru added. Kyouya broke his pencil this time, but held back his comments. Hikari looked over at Hikaru who starred at his brother in total amazement.

“What’s so shocking?” Hikari asked as she began to carry her first stack of stories to the back room. Hikaru shrugged and gave her a weak smile.

“I’ve known Kaoru since we were born and I always thought that we would be the same and do everything as such.” He sighed and wrapped his arms around Hikari waist, cupping Hikari’s head under his chin. “But apparently, we’re as different as different can be.”

“Just like in the stories,” Hikari mentioned. She pulled away from Hikaru and looked into his eyes of gold. “In many of the stories about twins, the twins tend to be completely different, but act the same and enjoy fooling other people. You two…are not so different.” Hikaru gave her a gentle smile that made Hikari’s heart beat against her chest.

“Yeah, I guess your right.” Kaoru called Hikaru over, which gave Hikari enough time to think.

_What’s going on here,_ she thought, _That feeling is back…what is it?_

“Hikari-chan!” Yumi called out, bringing Hikari out of her own world, “Let’s get going!” Hikari continued to carry her stories into the back room and noticed her vampire costume dangling near her changing room

“Oh…no…”

[Halloween]

Hikari heard nothing all day but the Host club’s Halloween special. The girls huddled together praying that something “magical” could happen to them with one of the host member.

“I hope that Tamaki-senpai will give me the ‘kiss of death’ again,” One of them prayed.

“I hope that Kyouya-senpai will just drop his notebook and whisk me away into the night,” another one squealed.

“I want Hikaru-kun to protect me rather than Kaoru and tell me how cute I am,” the third one wished. Hikari bit her tongue to keep her mouth shut, which created a bitter taste in her mouth.

“I want to see what Hiroki-kun wrote for me,” the last one mentioned, “Hopefully it will include a confession and I will have him as my guy!” Hikari couldn’t help but to gag. The four girls turned their heads and looked at her with disgust.

“What’s your problem?” the first one said coldly. Hikari didn’t bother.

“I’m sorry,” she said professionally, “There was a bug caught in my throat and I had to get it out.” The girls didn’t seem to believe her. They crossed their arms and placed their noses in the air.

“You’re just jealous that you’re not attending this great party,” the third one said. Hikari just shrugged. _I’m actually a person in this party, so I’m more involved in it than you can say._ As Hikari was about to leave, she bumped into another girl in the doorway.

“Mina!” the second girl screamed, “What took you? There’re people waiting here too, you know.” Mina rubbed her head and stared at the floor.

“I-I’m sorry,” she said softly, “I w-was just t-trying to-”

“To make us late for the Host Club Special? Yeah, we can tell,” the fourth said. She flicked her hair and sighed, “Whatever. Just help us get into our costumes.” And on cue, the four girls left. The girl called Mina was still staring at the floor, her blonde hair falling in front of her face. The headband that was holding her wavy locks back slipped forward off her head. Hikari took it off and fixed it in her hair. Mina looked up with a surprised look in her light brown eyes.

“Here,” Hikari said, “I’m sorry for running into you. That was my fault entirely.”

“Oh,” she said shaking her head swiftly, “I should have looked at where I was going.” Hikari helped her up as the two brushed themselves off. Mina bent down and picked up a red ribbon on the floor. It looked familiar to Hikari, which made her run her fingers through her hair.

“This is yours,” Mina said, “Those girls pulled it when they passed on by.”

“Thanks,” Hikari replied as she took the ribbon and tied it back in her hair. “Are those girls friends of yours?” she asked when she finished. Mina looked back down at the floor.

“I guess,” she said.

“What do you mean you ‘guess’?” Mina shuffled in her spot.

“It’s actually quite embarrassing,” she said, “They figured out a secret of mine and they threaten to announce it in the school paper unless I do what they say.” There was a pause; the sound of people chattering away echoed through out the halls and classroom of the school.

“I think we should get out of the doorway,” Hikari suggested.

“Oh right.” Mina moved out of the doorway and went towards one of the large windows that faced the courtyard of Ouran. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?” Hikari asked.

“I should have moved out of the doorway,” Mina answered. Hikari rubbed the center of her forehead and sighed.

“That wasn’t your fault. Students do that all the time.” Mina held onto her schoolbag tightly and blushed from embarrassment.

“I’m sorry. I feel that that’s all I’m doing. Saying ‘sorry’.”

“You don’t have to,” Hikari pointed out.

“Oh no, I do. If I don’t, then my parents become very upset and then **they** have to apologize. They hate apologizing.” Hikari couldn’t help but to pity Mina. She looked cute in her Ouran uniform. But traditionally, cute girls were pampered by everyone rather than doing chores. At least, that was the conclusion Hikari came to when analyzing character tropes. She couldn’t resist quietly giggling to herself as an idea came into her head.

“Hey, I’ve got a question.” Mina looked up with a tint of hope in her eyes. “Why don’t you come to the Host Club's special party?” Mina gasped, placing her hand over her mouth and shaking her head furiously.

“No no no no no. I could never do that!”

“What’s stopping you?” Hikari questioned.

“Those girls,” Mina answered, “They would surely despise me if I went.”

“Okay then…What if you got an invitation specifically from a host member?” Mina blushed quickly.

“I’ve never been in the host club, so no one would know me.” Hikari smacked her head and sighed.

“What would encourage you to go?” Hikari asked as her last attempt. Mina placed a finger on her chin and thought about it. A minute passed before she answered.

“Well…Nothing really. I don’t know anyone who likes me that’s going, so it doesn’t really matter.” Hikari finally gave up.

“Fine, fine. If you don’t want to go, then don’t go. But really, you’ll just keep being pushed around if nothing changes.” Mina shrugged, frowning at the marble floor as if her fate was sealed. Hikari then excused herself and ran off to the host club.

Tamaki was furious when Hikari came in late. He had already changed into his werewolf costume, and was ordering the maintenance staff around to get the last minute decorations up. The fur coming out of his jeans matched his hair color quite accurately. “HIKARI! Where have you been? We’re opening soon and you’re not ready!”

“Really, senpai, we’ve got a lot of time before people start arriving.” Hikari and Tamaki turned towards the changing room doors and found Haruhi in her vampire costume. She wore what resembled a classic vampire costume: A Victorian style tux with a black cape attached to the shoulders and a red ribbon in place of a tie. Out of her mouth, two little fangs stuck out.

“Haruhi,” Tamaki cooed, holding his face as his body moved in a strange, wiggle form, “You look so cute.” Haruhi’s expression did not match Tamaki’s enthusiasm. She looked down at herself and shook her head, completely not impressed by her appearance.

“These fangs are just too annoying.” She poked at one of them. “They feel like…not my teeth.”

“Well, isn’t that the point?” Kyouya asked while leaving the changing room. Natasha quickly trotted after him.

“Kyouya, you’re going to look horrible unless you let me finish,” she said, her intonation filled with frustration. Kyouya didn’t speak. Instead he let her fix his cape as he glanced on over at Hikari.

“Get changed,” He commanded.

“Kyouya, be nice to her,” Natasha threatened. Kyouya rolled his eyes and took off the cape. Natasha filled her mouth with air, making her cheeks puff up. “Kyouya, you’re so mean!” Hikari couldn’t help but to giggle. It was amusing to her to see Natasha acting like a kid to this man who claims that he’s “egoistic” (or so Haruhi has claimed).

Suddenly, someone began to poke her in the back with something that seemed soft.

“GRR!”

Hikari jumped with laughter. Before turning around, she recognized the little beast. “Honey-senpai, what was that?” The little boy smiled.

“I wanted to see if I could scare you,” He said. His costume was a little different from the rest. He was a werewolf as Tamaki had announced, but he wore a kid wolf costume. His hands and feet were covered by cotton and fur. He held his pink rabbit close to him, who wore a pink ribbon around his neck and had little vampire fangs sticking out of its black mouth.

“Mitsukuni.” Hikari looked behind Honey and saw Mori looking…quite sexy. He wore the werewolf jeans and ears, but his body was breath-taking, even for her. “You forgot your ribbon.” Mori tied a pink ribbon around Honey’s furry neck.

“Thanks, Takashi.”

“Wow, even Hikari is taken away by Mori’s appearance.” Hikari turned around and saw Kaoru rubbing the back of his head. “I hope you’re not going to fall for him and dump Hikaru.”

“Like I’m that kind of girl,” Hikari said, her cheeks turning a bit pink. Kaoru smiled and placed his hand on her shoulder.

“I know, I’m just teasing. Anyway, you should get into your costume.” Hikari looked down at the auburn tail that continuously brushed against her legs.

“Is the changing room empty?” she asked with caution.

“Yep!” Yumi shouted, peeking over from behind Kaoru. Hikari glared at the couple questioning their answer.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes,” they say together. Hikari planted her feet on the ground, showing that she was not convinced.

“Don’t worry,” Natasha assured, approaching the three, “Hikaru is getting the candles for the party, so you won’t see him.” Hikari let out a breath of relief and headed towards the back room. She saw her costume hanging on the railing of the changing room that was usually hers and Haruhi’s. Two green ribbons hung on the hanger, one for her neck and the other for her hair, she presumed. She entered while undoing her uniform, slipping off the yellow outer dress, when a rustling noise caught her attention. Her heart and body froze together as if trying to blend into the background, but the chuckling she heard brought her back to life.

“I thought you were out getting candles,” Hikari said through her teeth.

“I am…they’re stored in this room,” Hikaru clarified. Hikari’s lips pinched tightly together.

“Can you leave so I can change?” He didn’t reply. “I said-” and before she could finish her answer, Hikaru had pinned her to the mirror of the dressing room. The mirror was cold against her back, making her draw a quick breath. “Hikaru!” she screamed in a whisper. He placed his cold finger on her warm lips.

“Shh, it must be silent for me to draw your sweet blood,” he said, tracing his tongue on the tips of his top teeth. Hikari swallowed hard, unsure of how she was feeling. _He’s not serious…is he?_ She wondered. Her breathing began to pick up the pace as he lowered his head down to her neck. His warm breath made skin shiver with pleasure. Hikari shut her eyes tightly, waiting for him to continue, but he didn’t. She opened her eyes and found Hikaru looking in the direction of the door.

“Tsk,” he said in a whisper, “I guess I couldn’t eat my victim today.” He turned around and faced Hikari with a smirk on his face. “I plan to taste you soon enough. Just be patient until then.” Hikari felt her face fluster as he left the back room, his cape tracing after him.

“OO THAT HIKARU!” She shouted as she got ready, “Why does he always do the weirdest things?!” She was about to place her green ribbon around her neck when she heard a gentle knock on the door.

“Hikari?” Haruhi called, “Is it safe to come in?”

“Oh, Haruhi,” Hikari said, exhaling in relief, “Yeah, come in.” Haruhi quietly closed the door behind her.

“Hikaru seemed a little bummed when he got out of the room,” she said, “Do you know what happened?”

“By ‘happened’ do you mean that he was trying to suck my blood like a real vampire? Then yes, something happened.”

“He wouldn’t, would he?” Haruhi questioned, “I mean, that’s taking it a bit too far…”

“Oh yes he would,” Hikari protested, “He wanted to see what my blood tasted like and all that stuff.”

“That’s gross,” Haruhi replied, “And that would hurt…a lot.”

“I agree,” Hikari said, “Kaoru, Yumi, and Natasha led me to believe that Hikaru was NOT in the changing room, when really he was here the whole time.”

“Why would they do that?” Haruhi asked. Hikari shrugged.

“It doesn’t matter anyway. Let’s just get this special over with.” She wrapped the ribbon around her neck when Haruhi stopped her.

“Natasha wanted you to wear your red ribbon tonight, so switch with me.” Hikari glanced over at Haruhi’s accessory and proceeded with the change. A smile quickly appeared on her face, and Haruhi noticed it. “I think you look better in red than I do,” she commented. Hikari let out a laugh.

“You’re too kind. Alright.” She rolled her head and shoulders and took a deep breath. “Let’s do this.”

 

 


	15. Halloween Special—The White Fairy

{The Host Club is Now Open}

The host club flooded with girls in elaborate costumes; costumes bearing glitter in some fashion. They twinkled in the glow casted by candles hanging around the walls. Cotton cobwebs hung loosely in the corners, creating shadow puppets whenever candlelights flickered. Anytime a girl caught a glimpse of it, she gasped, spilling sparkling powder onto the floor. Hearing her cry, a host on stand-by stood close, flirting with her in their manner before escorting her to her designated member.

Hiroki didn’t get scared that easily by shadow puppets. But the photo of a wolf growling, pausing from tearing a woman to shreds sent shivers through his bones. Grotesque sentences sewn themselves together like a sewing machine gone wild. _Ripping flesh. Dangling limbs. Searing pain blocks her vision of the chunks of skin still clinging onto her leg…_ He tore his eyes away and shook his head.

_Definitely Yumi’s doing,_ he thought.

“Ah, Hiroki-kun,” Kyouya called from behind, “Decided to come, I see.”

“I was going to show,” Hiroki replied, “I just had…trouble in the back.” Kyouya smiled before proceeding to his table. There his guests waited patiently, sighing at his elegant vampire costume. Hiroki went towards his piles of stories and took a handful. As he turned, his shoulder bumped into someone. A shriek escaped her throat, and she stumbled to the ground.

“I’m terribly sorry,” he began to say.

“Oh n-no,” stuttered the girl in a sweet voice, “That was entirely my fault.”

“No, please, let me help you up.” Hiroki extended a hand and helped a girl in a fairy costume onto her feet. With her free hand, she dusted the hem of her white mini dress before tackling the matching cloak that shortly trailed behind her. Her puffed sleeves clung onto her arm and shimmered off the candlelight. Hiroki noticed it matched her glitter-covered wings.

The girl pulled her hand out of Hiroki’s and threw her glance to the side. Her eyes stayed focused on the floor as her blonde curls hung by her cheek. Except for the two strands, the rest of her locks were tied back into a tight bun. Hiroki apologized once more before trailing off. Through the white body-glitter painted mask, Hiroki recognized a pair of sweet honey brown eyes.

“I was hoping to meet you tonight, Mina-san,” he said in a soothing voice. Mina’s eyes widen with shock.

“How do you know my name?” she asked.

“I heard about you from someone,” he answered.

“Niwazaki-san said something, didn’t she.” Hiroki shook his head.

“I will not say who, but they were hoping that you’d come by.” Mina didn’t respond. Her eyes stayed focused on the other hosts. She appeared to regret her decision in coming. Hiroki politely coughed.

“Speaking of Niwazaki-san, rumor has it she actually prefers if people called her by her first name.”

“Really?” Mina asked, “Why’s that?”

“Because…she thinks it’s more comfortable that way.” Mina nodded, though her eyes scanned over the room. Her shoulders rolled forward and she brought her hand up to her chest. Hiroki could sense her tension.

“Don’t worry,” he assured, “No one will recognize you.” Mina looked back at him. She waited a second before finally showing a smile, relaxing her shoulders in the process. Hiroki extended his arm. “Please, this way.” He guided her towards his table and pulled out her chair. Mina took the seat, her white wings fighting with the chair from some space.

“Is there anything I can get you?” He asked. Mina opened her mouth, but quickly closed it shut and shook her head. _She’s still a little restricted with herself._ Hiroki took a seat next to her, placing the pile of stories next to him on the table.

“You know,” he said, “If there’s anything you would like, you can tell me. Only I know who you are, and I won’t share anything to the others.” Mina bit her lower lip and scooted her chair closer towards him.

“Well…There’s something that’s…keeping me trapped,” she began, “And the reason is because of a secret I have.”

“So someone found out your secret and they’re threatening you to do whatever they say or else they’ll tell everyone,” Hiroki finished. Mina froze with fear and covered her face.

“Oh, you know already!” she said, “They already told people my secret!”

“No no no,” Hiroki replied placing his left arm around her and his right hand on her free shoulder. “I’m a writer. I think about these kinds of moments all the time. What you’ve got here is a typical instance that inspires a story to change. Here.” Hiroki passed her a piece of paper from the pile. “There’s nothing to be ashamed of.” Mina scanned it with her eyes and sighed in relief.

“I really want to break away, but I can’t.” Hiroki followed Mina’s eyes, which were looking at the rest of the hosts. They were all socializing with their guests as they normally did. Tamaki had many girls faint whenever he almost laid himself on top of them. Hiroki glanced over Haruhi, who was staring at Tamaki with a new look in his eyes. _Ah_ , Hiroki thought, _It seems to me that Haruhi is_ _a bit_ _jealous of Tamaki’s guest_. He couldn’t help but smile.

“I don’t care if you are a werewolf, I will protect you always.”

“How can you protect me when you need blood to keep you alive?”

“My feelings towards you…motivate me to keep going.”

“Hikaru…Drink my blood. I can’t have you die.”

“Kaoru…” Hiroki's stare switched over to the twins. He saw Hikaru cup his brother's face and brought his lips towards his neck. “…I will never forgive myself for doing this.” The girls at the table squealed.

“Hikaru! Bite me, PLEASE!” One shrieked.

“Kaoru, don’t let him do it!” Another one cried.

The brothers looked at their guests and smiled an evil grin.

“So would you rather that I play with you instead?” Kaoru asked one. She blushed as she held her cheeks together.

“Or would you like me to taste you? I’ve always wondered what your blood tasted like,” Hikaru whisperer to the same girl. As she fainted, Hikaru looked up at Hiroki with a smirk. _Your mine_ , he mouthed, licking his lips. Hiroki glared at him before returning his focusonto Mina. Her attention reminded him of Haruhi and the way he stared at Tamaki.

“Mina-chan, is it possible that you like a host member?” Mina didn’t move. Instead, she closed her eyes. Her chest rose as she took in a shaky breath of air. When she exhaled, her lips pulled back as if she were about to cry.

“They remind me of me and a very dear friend of mine…I envy how they can be together like that; not shunned for their relationship.” Hiroki nodded and kept his focus on her. He felt questions piecing themselves together in his mind as he wanted her to tell him more. But his lips couldn't part. He didn’t want to make her feel uncomfortable.

“Let me get you some tea,” he finally said, smiling sweetly to try and put her at ease. When he got up, the candles blew out. Hiroki froze and tried to look around. The fresh darkness coated his vision. All of the girls muttered to one another as he carefully made his way towards any other host member. Soon his eyes adjusted and found Haruhi.

“What’s going on?” He asked.

Haruhi shrugged. “I don’t know. This wasn’t planned.” Tamaki joined them in a panic.

“What’s happening?” He asked, “This was supposed to be a simple small, not-so-scary party.” Haruhi and Hiroki shook their heads.

“Tama-chan, what happened?” Honey asked joining the members in the back. Mori walked silently behind him scratching his head.

“Tono!” the twins said in unison, “We can barely see. What happened?”

“I DON’T KNOW!” Tamaki screamed. The back doors towards the changing room burst open with a loud bang, frightening everyone in the room. A shadowy figure stood in front of them with its arms wrapped around something.

“Who…dares…wake…my…slumber?” asked the voice. Mysterious lightening flashed and everyone saw the face…which was in the hands of the creature. Blood dripped from the neck, eyes, nose, and mouth, making Hiroki’s stomach churn. The girls screamed and ran out the front doors, the hosts following not far after.

{Hikari dropped character}

“What the hell was that?” Hikari screamed, dropping character entirely.

“I don’t know,” Haruhi panted, “All I do know is I don’t want find out!”

“Haruhi, this way!” Tamaki said with his hand extended. Haruhi gladly took it and the two of them went on running in a different direction. Hikari continued to run with the crowd, stumbling every now and then from the constant crashing and shoving of people around her. When the girls reached the school’s main door, they tried to open it.

“It’s locked!” one of them yelled. All of the girls huddled together whispering and sobbing in the dark hallway. Hikari turned around and pushed through the river of students. She reached forward and pulled back as if doing the front crawl in a pool. When she extended her hand and a shoulder hadn’t bashed into it, she knew she reached the end. Without sparing a moment she ran around the school. There had to be another exit. One that maybe the average student wouldn’t know about. Hikari wasn’t sure. Before long, her legs reached their limit and she stopped running. Her mouth became very dry and sweat trickled down her face.

“This costume is too heavy,” she said in between breaths. Her ribbon felt like a choker around her neck. It was the first thing she took off. She then shimmied off the her jacket/cape. The stuffy school air felt like a cool autumn breeze as her back and shoulders finally felt free. She rolled her head loosely around before tossing the jacket and ribbon by the wall. Her damp, white button down shirt finally lessened up, but the pants clung onto her sweaty legs as if they too were frightened. _I don’t know how much farther I can go in these…_

Suddenly, a creaking sound filled the hallway. Hikari felt a cold chill run down her spine, freezing her entire body with fear. With every moan it grew louder. Her eyes darted around her and found a door. She snatched it and turned the handled. When it didn't resist, she bashed her shoulder into it and pushed it open. The moment she was through the frame she slammed it shut, locking it behind her. Hikari then turned around, pressing her back on the wooden door, and closed her eyes. Her breath was still catching up with her.

“At least…I’m safe…for now…” she mumbled as her feet gave way. Her back slid her downward until the cool marble floor caught her rump. She was ready to collapse when she heard rustling in the shadows. As silently as she could, she got to her feet and scoped the room. The moon’s glow was peering through a window, shining down on a pair of white wings that stuck out from an arm chair. A sense of relief washed over her.

“Mina-chan?” She asked, taking casual steps towards the girl. Mina peeked over before rising from her hiding spot.

“Niwa—no—Hikari-san…?” Hikari smiled and trotted towards her.

“Thank god I found someone. Do you know what happened?” Mina didn’t move. Hikari felt a tinge of fear strike her chest. Was something behind her? She glanced over her shoulder to check, but saw nothing. “Mina?” Still no response. She just continued to stare. “Please don’t tell me that there’s something I'm not seeing.”. Mina shook her head and pointed.

“Why are you dressed like…Hiroki-kun?” Hikari’s temperature shot up, summoning a new layer of nervous sweat. She peered over to the window behind Mina. It was too dark to notice anything strange. Her hand reached for her hair. It was still tied in a pony tail…

_Shit_ , she thought, _I totally forgot_. Hikari scanned the room to see if there was anything to help her when a thought came into her mind.

“Well, it’s Halloween, right? So when I went to the host party, I decided to dress up like Hiroki-kun.” She paused for a moment before adding, “He’s my favorite host.”

Mina’ let out a “Huh” while nodding her head. Then she stopped. “I was with Hiroki-kun for a bit. When did you arrive”

“I’d just gotten there when that thing appeared.” Mina stared at her for what felt like a long time. Her face didn't tell Hikari anything. A dry lump began to form in the back of her throat. _If Mina-chan found out, what would Kyouya-senpai say?_

The white fairy closed her eyes and let a sigh pass. “I didn't think the Host Club would organize something scary like that,” she replied. Hikari felt her body recline in relief as she sat down on the floor. She took down her brown hair and massaged the top of her head.

“Yeah, I heard it was supposed to be a low-key event.” Hikari tossed her head to let her hair fly free for a moment. Long strands of brown fell in her view. “So you came to the party,” she commented with glee, brushing a few strands to the side, “I’m glad.” Mina smiled.

“Well, I decided that maybe I could…change something if I went.”

“What do you want to change?”

“Well…I have this friend, actually, she’s like a little sister to me, or a big sister rather. Anyway, we’re childhood friends and our parents at first supported our friendship. The only problem was…Only I grew up.” What little joy Mina expressed vanished. “My friend stopped growing physically when she was in elementary school, and her parents began to put pressure on her to act more like an adult. At first, she tried really hard, but she confided in me that she missed being a kid, and exploring her interests towards kids. Maybe it was wrong of me, but I encouraged her to be who she is, and to follow her passions. But then one night, her parents caught her playing with dolls, and they scolded her harshly. They demanded that she give up everything that made her look like a child.” Mina shrugged her shoulders. “She refused. She absolutely flat out said no. She decided to show them that she can be a mature and powerful adult while continuingto lovedolls and toys. I never minded it at all. She has the same academic problems and social issues as I do. The only difference is she acts like she's eight rather than eighteen.”

Mina shifted in her spot and forced out a laugh. “Anyway, our parents have tried to keep us apart. Mine transferred me here in hope that I find some better friends.” She shook her head. “But no one understands me as well as she.”

Hikari kept her mouth shut and eyes glued to the dark door. She felt a sense of empathy towards Mina and her friend, for they understood the struggles of a negative home-life like herself. “Do you two still hang out?” she asked.

“Oh yes!” Mina answered, “But it has to be in secret.”

“So those girls I met found you two and threaten you to be their…” Hikari couldn’t find the word. “…slave friend?” Mina nodded. “It sounds a bit like Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai to me.”

“That’s why I wanted to come,” she admitted, “I wanted to see what they did to get accepted into a society like this.” Hikari nodded. Mina was talking to the right girl about secrets.

Mina brushed her dress aside and joined Hikari on the floor. The two of them were silent for a while as they sat under the moonlight.

“So that was the secret you mentioned earlier?” Hikari asked. Mina nodded. “That’s not so bad.”

“You won’t tell anyone, will you?” Mina pleaded.

“Of course not,” Hikari assured, “But I think you got the right idea. Talking to Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai might help you two find that confidence to stand-up to your parents for what you believe in.”

“Oh no, they would just find me stupid and think that I’m just another guest.”

“How do you know that?” Mina didn’t answer. “Exactly.” Mina closed her eyes, allowing some of the glitter around her eyes to fall.

“Have you been visiting the Host Club for long, Hikari-san?” She asked. Hikari opened her mouth, but no sound came out. A faint call from outside slipped into the room, tightening Hikari’s vocal chords.

“…ka…kari…” Suddenly, she heard footsteps running towards the door. The person tried to open the door, then started pounding it.

“Hikari! Are you in there?!”

_I know that voice_.

“Hey, doesn’t that sound like…” but Hikari didn’t let Mina finish. She ran to the door and unlocked it. It bust open, making Hikari stumble backwards. Someone grabbed her wrist and she found herself pulled onto a body. Its arms wrapped around her tightly.

“Thank god I found you.”

“It was really no big deal, Hika-” Hikari couldn’t finish, for Hikaru tilted up her head and gave her a kiss. It was as if they hadn’t seen each other in years. His tongue bound itself around Hikari’s, familiarizing itself with her movements. Hikari felt at peace for a moment, closing her eyes while holding onto Hikaru and returning his kiss.

Hikari's eyes flew open and she took a sharp breath. They weren’t alone. She pulled herself away and turned around. Mina’s eyes widen, her mouth open. Hikaru glanced behind Hikari and covered his mouth. She heard him swear under his breath.

“Mina,” Hikari said carefully, “Please let me explain…” but Hikari's mind drew a blank. Her mind was fogged up by the kiss that she couldn’t collect her creative thoughts together.

“I heard rumors,” Mina replied, “about you two. I didn’t believe them…but I guess they’re true. Why are you keeping it a secret?” Hikari hung her head and took a deep breath.

“Because I know many girls would hunt me down till the end of time if they knew.” Mina let out an angelic laughed.

“I guess that makes sense.” Hikaru turned around with his hands behind his head.

“I honestly could care less if people knew or not,” he shared, “But miss picky over here doesn’t want to ruin her reputation.” Hikari felt a click of annoyance in her mind.

“Excuse me?” she said through her teeth. Hikaru winked and stuck out his tongue.

“You’re such a lovely couple,” Mina commented.

“Please,” Hikari said, “Don’t say that.”

“Aw come on, Hikari-chan,” Hikaru said in a cheery voice. He embraced Hikari from behind and pulled her tightly against his chest. “If you let everyone know that we’re dating, then I can hug you and kiss you whenever I want to.”

“What, am I just your little toy?” Hikaru chuckled.

“Yes.”

“I had to ask.”

“Don’t worry, Hikari-san,” Mina interrupted, “I won’t tell anyone your secret.” Hikaru pouted while Hikari smiled.

“Really?”

“Of course. You’re keeping mine after all. It’s the least I can do.”

“Thank you!” The faint sound of running feet lingered in Hikari’s ear. It grew louder and louder until it approached the room the three were in.

“My daughter!” Tamaki screamed, lunging forth and ripping Hikari from Hikaru’s arms, “You’re alright.” He swung her around a few times before adding, “Mother, I’ve found our missing daughter.” Haruhi turned the corner and pinched Tamaki’s arm, freeing Hikari.

“Are you alright?” she asked. Hikari nodded and looked at Mina. She just stared at them as if they were a circus performance. Tamaki noticed Mina’s presence and put on his host charm.

“Ah, Hime, thank you for looking out for my precious daughter.” Mina opened her mouth to thank him, but she suddenly stopped. Her eyes had darted past Tamaki and found Mori entering the room. On his back faithfully was Honey-senapi, who waved at Hikari with a huge grin.

Trailing behind was Kaoru, who hovered in the back before leaning against the door frame, arms folded across his chest. His eyes glanced from side to side and settled on his brother. A slight sly smile curled up his lips.

Mori acknowledged Mina’s stare and returned it to her. She glanced over at Hikari, who smiled with encouragement. Mina slowly drew a deep breath and approached him.

“Mori-senpai,” she began, “I just want to say… The relationship you and Honey-senpai have is one I admire greatly...so much. It has to make me wonder...” Mori didn’t move. “How did-” she froze. Hikari held her breath. _Is she struck with fear?_ she wondered. Mina held still for another second before releasing a simple smile.

“No…” she quietly said, “I know the answer.” Her smile grew even bigger.

“Forget I said anything.” She turned towards Hikari. “Thank you Hikari-san. I’ll see you in class tomorrow.”

“Definitely.” Mina bowed to the group and took her leave, a trail of glitter falling behind her.

Once her footsteps blended with the sound of the night Hikaru asked Hikari, “What happened there?” Hikari didn’t answer. Mina confided in her, and she didn't want to say anything that wasn't hers.

“She was an admirer of Mori-senpai” Tamaki answered, “However, it seems a little different than the average guest demonstrates.”

“How so?” Haruhi asked.

“It seems to me that she truly understands Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai’s relationship.” Tamaki's purple eyes caught Hikari, and he smiled. Before she could react, he walked towards Haruhi and reached for her hand. To Hikari's surprise, she didn't flinch away. Instead she pulled his arm closer to her, and she leaned her head against his shoulder.

Honey looked down at Mori. “Takashi,” he said, “Maybe we should talk to Nana-chan and see if there’s something wrong.”

“Ah.”

“By the way,” Hikari interrupted, “Who was the ghostly figure we saw?” Lightning flashed itself once more, it's thunder counterpart rolling in. There in the doorway was the headless figure. Hikari’s stomach tied in a knot as she saw the running blood.

“YoU wIlL nOw SuFeR a TeRrIbLe FaTe!” Hikari and the rest of club screamed in fear. A sudden flash grew. Thunder clapped its hands for an encore. Hikari’s closed eyes lids. Laughter wrapped around her and she held onto Hikaru’s arm. A few seconds passed before any movement. Then, slowly Hikari opened one eye. Yumi stood next to the headless witch, eyes glued to her camera. Natasha looked over her shoulder.

“I will keep this and frame it in the Host room,” Yumi said.

“Or Kyouya can put a price on it and we can have the girls bid money on it,” Natasha suggested.

“We’ll be rich!”

“I agree with you both,” Kyouya replied in the shadows. A cold stone fell on her head and tumbled town her spine. Her fingers managed to let Hikaru go. The vice President scribbled notes down, “That worked out better than I had hoped for.”

“KYOUYA!” The members screamed. Kyouya clicked his notebook shut, a scheming smile shining at them.

“I thank you. You guys were able to give me great ideas for future events.” Hikari wanted to kill him, but her stomach wasn’t allowing her.

“Wait,” Haruhi said, “Who’s in the costume if it wasn’t any of you?” A familiar laugh exploded from the figure. Its neck then began to grow, like a wart ready to pop. Red ribbons loosened and fell onto the floor, revealing one pleased Host Club Manager.

“Isn’t it obvious that it is I, Renge-himesama!” The host club was speechless.

“Nice job, Renge-chan,” Yumi praised. Renge unzipped her costume and stepped out. As her undergarment she wore her school uniform.

“It’s was worth it. After that rude comment those twins made, I just knew I had to make an impression on them. I’m so pleased that I can eat three rice bowls!”

“That’s it,” Haruhi said, “I’m going home.”

“I’m following,” Hikari second.

“Wait, Haruhi!” Haruhi looked back at Tamaki who was in a lunging position. “Let me walk you home. It’s dark and I don’t want you to get eaten by another Renge-chan.” Renge took no offense. Instead she flicked her hair and modeled for Yumi.

“Fine, but just don’t take me upstairs. Dad’ll have a fit if you do.”

“Done deal.”

“Natasha, can you take me back to the hotel?” Hikari asked.

“Sorry, Hikari. I was going to invite Kyouya to come over for a Halloween treat.”

“Of course you were,” Hikari replied rolling her eyes, “I guess I’m going alone, then.”

“Oh no you’re not,” Kaoru said grabbing Hikari’s shoulder. “I think that someone else wants to take you home.”

_I was afraid that you’d say that_. “I’m fine Kaoru, really.”

“Yeah, Kaoru,” Hikaru said, “It’s halloween, after all. I’ll just follow her to the hotel, then slip into her room. And then, when she goes to sleep…I might do something devilish.” He purred the last words aiming them at Hikari.

“On second thought, I’d rather have Hikaru walk me home so I can keep an eye on you.” Hikaru smiled and took her hand.

“Well let’s get going. Our car’s downstairs.” He began to walk and Hikari followed. She looked at her hand and then at Hikaru. Her heart drummed lightly against her chest, creating a fluttering feeling in her stomach. _Maybe this isn’t so bad after all._

[Natasha’s house]

“That was fun,” Natasha said after placing tea on the table, “I can’t remember the last time I’d had that much fun.”

“I agree,” he replied taking a sip, “And Hikari had fun as well.”

“Yes…that’s the important thing.” The two didn't speak. Natasha took a seat and reached for her cup. Its heat made her fingers retreat, so she let it be. The night was such a success that Natasha couldn't recall seeing Kyouya so satisfied with club work before. But his expression now told her that the night was coming to an end.

“They’ve started,” Kyouya announced after finishing his cup. Natasha quietly attempted her tea once more. This time the lip had cooled enough for her to pick up.

“What have they done?” she asked.

“They started gathering investors, claiming that things would go better if only their struggle with their daughter could change,” Kyouya answered. “Since these investors want their business to succeed, they'll give the Niwazaki's the extra funds for Hikari's one way ticket with them...to America.” Natasha choked on her tea, coughing it back up. “Eventually, it’ll reach the school.”

“There's gotta be something you can do, right?” she wheezed.

“I can’t, but Tamaki’s father might.” Natasha didn’t speak for a while.

“When will they send her?”

“They will send her Christmas Eve.”

“We don’t have much time then,” Natasha said.

“No…we don’t.”

  


 


	16. Mina Brings a Friend

_Three weeks ago, I had encountered a headless spirit. Now I’m faced with a bigger problem at hand: The warlock took my magic and sold it to the highest power in the kingdom. How can I save my sister when she’s held inside a birdcage? All of these questions poured into my head as I played with the hem of my dress. All of a sudden, a knocking was at my door._

Hikari closed her eyes and shook her head. The image of her story faded away into the back of her mind and she found herself in her hotel room.

“How long was I out for?” She asked aloud. Her eyes wandered towards a digital alarm clock that blinked 8:03 in bright red. As if she sat on a pin, Hikari flew out of her seat.

“I’M LATE!” The knocking repeated, yet Hikari didn't stop her packing. She shoved her homework, school books, and writing notebooks in her bag. It could all barely fit. The straps couldn't reach each other. Hikari swore under her breath, taking out some of her school books. She could share with Mina.

Hikari grabbed her breakfast, and opened her door. She didn't stay focused on her guest and zipped right back to her bag. “Hon, if you keep on doing this, you’ll one day wear your breakfast to school.”

“I know, Natasha,” Hikari said, “But I had a wonderful idea from my story; the one about the mystical witch. I’ve been on a writers block for that story for such a long time. I was relieved to finally have a workable idea.”

“It’s nice to see you writing out in the open,” Natasha commented. Hikari nodded.

“I know. And did you see how fast my stories went out at the Cultural Festival? That defiantly got me motivated.” Natasha smiled. She listened as Hikari continued to talk about her story. She didn't stop, even when they got in the car. Once they arrived at the school gates, Hikari suddenly stopped.

“We’re here? Already?”

“Yes we are,” Natasha answered, “You’ve been talking the whole trip.”

“Wow. I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be.” Hikari stepped out, and noticed Kyouya leaning against the gateway reading.

“Natasha,” she said, “Someone’s here to see you.” Natasha got out of the car with a small smile on her lips. Kyouya looked up from his book and saw her. He smiled back while closing his book and approached the two ladies at a smooth pace.

“I’ll go on ahead,” Hikari whispered, “I’ll see you later.”

Once she was out of ear shot from the couple, Kyouya spoke. “I’ve got some good news.” Natasha drew a quick breath. “I've spoken with Tamaki’s father and he's aware of the Niwazaki's treatment towards Hikari. He's agreed to help keep Hikari out of their household, however, he can't remove them as her guardian.”

“It’s at least a start. So who’ll then in charge of Hikari school wise?”

“You are.” Natasha was still for a moment before a smile bloomed across her face, She clapped, and jumped on Kyouya, causing them to topple over onto the metal gates. Natasha was about to apologize when Kyouya looked at her with such pain in his eyes.

“Kyouya,” Natasha said still lying on him, “What’s wrong?” Kyouya gently pushed Natasha off.

“They’ve picked someone.” He grabbed her hands, holding them tightly. “They found someone for me to marry.” Natasha stopped breathing and stared into his dark, dark eyes.

“Oh,” she muttered.

“That doesn’t change how I feel about you,” he said, “I can still get out of it.”

“How?” Her voice had vansihed. Her how could barely be heard over the fall breeze rolling in.

“If I can convince the girl to decline the offer, then we’re off the hook.” Natasha smiled, taking a deep breath.

“However,” Natasha muttered, “it’ll be hard for her to decline the offer.” Kyouya didn't reply. His grip on her hands grew tighter, tight enough to make them shake. She brought his hands to her lips, hoping her kiss would stop his trembling. “I have faith in you,” she said, “You do what you can.” She let his hands go and wrapped her arms around his neck. “The fact that you still love me is all that matters to me.”

****

“So Kyouya-senpai is going to be forced to marry someone else,” Kaoru whispered behind the hedges.

“He better get out of it,” Hikaru whispered back, “Otherwise Natasha deserves someone else.

“Silence, my children,” Tamaki shushed, “We’ll make sure that your uncle stays with Lady Natasha.”

“Yes sir!” The twins said in unison. Hikari, Haruhi, Honey, and Mori stood behind them, amazed at the three guy's interest in interfering with Kyouya’s life.

“Poor Kyou-chan,” Honey said, “He has to marry a random girl. Does he even know her?” Mori just shrugged.

The school bell quietly rang across the courtyard. Hikari was following the club when she turned her head to check on the couple. She noticed Kyouya refusing to leave. Then, as if a magnet was pulling him away, he slowly walked onto campus, his hand still hovering behind him as if reaching out to Natasha.

Throughout the day, Hikari couldn’t help but to think about Kyouya being forced to marry someone else. _I remember reading about that when I was trying to convince Kyouya-senpai to get back with Natasha_ , she thought, _I wonder who the girl is_. Completely lost in thought, Hikari didn’t notice someone trying to grab her attention.

“Hikari-san?” Hikari pulled herself out of her pool of thoughts and faced the person. “You seem a little upset about something.”

“Oh, Mina-chan,” she said, “Oh no, nothing serious.” Mina pulled a chair from another desk and brought it next to Hikari.

“Our lives have now intertwined with one another, making us dear friends,” Mina explained, “Know that I'm here for you if you need it.”. Hikari couldn’t help but smile.

“You seem to be more like yourself nowadays,” Hikari pointed out. Mina smiled shyly.

“Well, ever since you brought me to the host club, Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai welcomed me with open arms. They’ve even allowed me to be with them before and after their host hours. I have to say, it was they who brought me out of my shy shell.” Hikari laughed, nudging Mina gently on the shoulder.

“Hey, no copying my stories!”

“But I couldn’t get them out of my head,” Mina objected, “The way that you wrote about that shy girl conquering her stage fright was incredible.” Mina continued to obsess over her writing as a sense of guilt rushed over Hikari. She couldn’t help but to feel a little guilty in keeping Hiroki a secret. Although Mina has been coming to the host club for some time, she hasn’t asked or mention anything about Hikari disappearing and turning into Hiroki.

_It’s better this way,_ Hikari thought, _Too many people are already involved in my crazy life. I don’t want other people to_ _get in trouble_ _because of me._ Having a friend in her class made the day go by faster. Yet Hikari'smind continued to think about Natasha and Kyouya.

Hikari was on her way to the club when someone called to her. She turned around and saw Haruhi running her way. Her hand was waving in the air and she seemed chipper than usual. “Did you hear?” She asked.

“Hear what?”

“Tamaki’s father was able to change the guardianship over you at the school.” Hikari mouth widened into a big smile.

“Really?” Haruhi nodded.

“Now that doesn't mean much outside of school, but at least the Niwazaki’s can’t interfere with any school-related events, such as schoolwork and club activites. The only thing is that you can’t go home alone. An Ouran student or Natasha can take you home. No one else.” Hikari embraced Haruhi tightly.

“Thank you so much, Haruhi. You have no idea what this means to me.” Haruhi returned the hug and smiled. They continued their way to the third music room where they saw Kyouya glaring down at Tamaki and the twins.

“WHO GAVE YOU PERMISSION TO SPY ON US?” he growled. The twins shook in fear as Tamaki tried to explain their actions.

“B-b-but brother,” he began, “W-w-we want t-to help you s-stay with N-N-Natasha…PLEASE DON’T KILL US!”

“Kyouya…senpai?” Hikari asked.

“Oh boy,” Haruhi said as she exhaled, “It’s the eyes of the devil all over again.”

“Eyes of the devil?” Hikari repeated. Haruhi nodded.

“Kyouya-senpai is just like Honey-senpai in that they both have a blood type of AB. They also hate being woken up early and have a low blood pressure.”

“What does that have to do with anything?” Hikari questioned.

“Basically, you don’t want to mess with Kyouya-senpai,” Haruhi summed up. Hikari nodded as Hikaru ran behind her. She looked into Kyouya’s eyes and saw frustration, hurt, and anger.

“Kyou-chan must be sad about the wedding thing,” Honey commented.

“Ah,”

“Well, we shouldn’t interfere. Not until we know more details about the matter,” Haruhi said. Hikari didn’t say anything. She just looked at Kyouya’s eyes. His feelings swirled around his black color, and she could see him trying to think of a plan. _He doesn’t want to lose Natasha again_.

The club opened and closed like any other day. Mina came by once again to see Mori and Honey-senpai, and Hikari felt alright. But whenever she saw Kyouya, she wanted nothing more than to help.

After the host club let out, Hikari waited for Natasha to pick her up outside the school gates. She was lost in the thought about her story when she heard quiet voices behind the Ouran hedges.

“Wow, You must be really happy!” said a little voice. It sounded like a little kid to Hikari.

“I am. He actually offered me another piece of cake!”

“That’s an improvement. Normally he’s just really quiet right?”

“Yeah. I really wish that you could meet them.”

“Well…” Hikari pressed her back against the leaves to try to hear more. _Wait,_ she thought, _Why an I spying on two random people. Am I turning into Hikaru?_ Hikari clenched her fist.

_No, I will not stoop down to their level._ She raised her back, standing straight and acting proper.

“NO WAY!” screamed the second voice. Hikari nearly stumbled forward from the sudden loud noise that erupted. “You actually know them all?!”

“Well…not all of them, just the one. He tries really hard to make sure that nothing happens to my bunny…so…”

_A bunny?_ _W_ _ait a minute_. Hikari looked behind the Ouran wall and saw two girls huddled together near a rose bush. One of them was a little girl wearing a pink dress with white tights. She wore pink shoes to match and clung on tightly to a yellow bunny rabbit. The other girl was an Ouran student that Hikari had classes with. She looked from one girl to another with her eyes wide open.

“Mina-chan,” she began to say slowly, “The girl that you were talking about…was Hana-chan?” Mina turned pink and buried her face in her hands.

“Hold it together, Mina-chan,” Hana said patting her back, “She’s a good guy.” Mina looked up at her friend, actual tears running down her face.

“Remember when I told you that there were two girls that came to see Honey-kun? Well she was one of them.” Mina looked at Hikari and back to her friend.

“Okay,” she said drying her tears. “I’m sorry, Hikari-san.” Hikari pulled in her dress and sat down.

“It’s alright, Mina-chan,” Hikari said, “I’m just surprised that you’re still here. I thought you left after the club closed.”

“I did,” Mina said, “But I had to talk to Hana-chan first. So I called her over here.” Mina’s suddenly grew with fear. “DID YOU HEAR WHAT I WAS TALKING ABOUT?” Hikari shook her head.

“No, I didn’t,” She said, “I heard little mumbling and that’s why I came looking. I wanted to make sure that it wasn’t my imagination.” Mina sighed in relief and smiled at Hana-chan.

“I really wish you could come up to the club. Since you know Honey-senpai, you should.” Hana held onto her bunny rabbit and turned a little pink.

“Well…I would…but I don’t to be a bother…”

“You should definintely come by,” Hikari encouraged, “It would be nice for you to see him at work.” Hana-chan looked up and placed a big grin on her face.

“Then it’s decided,” Hikari announced, “Come by after school and you’ll meet all of the host members.”

****

“So Mina’s bringing someone special?” Haruhi asked as Hikari changed.

“Yep. They’re both looking forward to it and I think that some good might come out of it,” Hikari answered, throwing her dress over the railing. Haruhi took it and folded it neatly.

“Well she defiantly seems different than at Halloween,” Haruhi commented.

“I know. And remember at the Cultural festival when she danced with both Honey-senpai and Mori-senpai?” Haruhi nodded. There was a knock at the door and then the creaking sound of it opening.

“Hikari-chan! Five minutes, Hikari-chan!”

“Thanks Yumi-chan.” Haruhi giggled. “And what seems so funny, Fujioka-san?”

“Nothing. Just hurry up, Hiroki-kun.” Hikari pulled back the curtains and put her hands in her pockets.

“Let’s do this.”

{The Host Club is now Open}

Hiroki was looking for Mina and Hana-chan, hoping that they would show.

“Hiroki-kun, are you alright?” One of the guests asked.

“Oh, it’s nothing, my dear. I was just thinking about locking you up in an underwater castle, guarded by a man eating shark. And I would have to rescue you from being eaten by this monstrous creature. The journey is long, but I’m willing to do it.” The girl blushed and squealed with delight. When Hiroki heard voices approaching the door, he hoped that it was his special guests.

The door opened slightly before she entered, but Hiroki knew that it was Mina. She pushed the door open all the way and entered. She was alone.

_Where’s Hana-chan?_ Mina walked towards Honey and Mori’s table with a serious face.

“Nana-chan, what’s wrong?” Honey asked. She whispered something in his ear as his face lit up. “REALLY?!” Mina smiled as Honey skipped out through the door.

“What was that all about?” Hikaru asked.

“I’m not sure,” Kaoru answered, “Maybe Mina-chan was trying to get Mori-senpai alone.”

“Kaoru,” Haruhi said, “Don’t make assumptions like that.” Kaoru smiled at Haruhi.

“Haruhi, do you know what a girl looks like when they like someone?” he asked. Haruhi looked annoyed, but shook her head.

“Well, it’s simple really. You just see how they act around people. She acts differently around Mori-senpai.”

“You’re right!” Tamaki said behind a couch. Haruhi and Hiroki gave a questioning look at the couch.

“Where did that come form?” Hiroki asked.

“Be careful about asking that question,” Haruhi warned, but Tamaki didn’t hear.

“We must figure out a way to unite their love together.” Hiroki heard scribbling behind him. He turned his head and saw Kyouya remaining focus on what he was writing.

“What are you writing?” he asked.

“It’s nothing that concerns you,” he answered without looking up.

“Are you trying to figure out a way to get out of the engagement?” Kyouya stopped writing and looked at him. Hiroki just stared back, giving off a “naïve” vibe so he can get Kyouya to talk. Unfortunately it wasn't working. Kyouya seemed angrier, his lips tightening into a thin line, but it then they curled into a smile.

“Right,” he said, “If it wasn’t for you, Natasha and I wouldn’t be back together.” Hiroki placed a grin on his face.

“So?” Kyouya closed his notebook shut and walked towards the rest of the host members.

“You just focus on yourself.” Hiroki began to pout and followed Kyouya's example. “So what is everyone staring at?” Kyouya asked.

“Oh,” Hiroki said, “Kaoru was explaining how Mina-chan might have a crush on Mori-senpai, but maybe-” he stopped talking and saw Kyouya freezing in place. “Kyouya-senpai?”

“Tamaki.” Tamaki looked up at Kyouya. “Do you have a plan to put those two together?” Everyone gasped.

“Kyouya-senpai wants to interfere?” Hikaru asked.

“Kyouya-senpai is really Tamaki’s brother,” Kaoru commented.

“Kyouya-senpai, this isn’t like you,” Haruhi pointed out, but Kyouya ignored them all. He grabbed his chin with his index finger and thumb, lost in thought. Hiroki looked at Kyouya and then back at Mina. Mina was talking to Mori-senpai, who was nodding, smiling, and offering her more tea.

“Takashi! Look who came to visit!” Everyone’s eyes looked at the front doors and saw Honey holding hands with a little girl in a yellow dress as if trying to match the Ouran uniform.

“Is that—”

“—Hana-chan?” The twins asked after one another. All of the girls in the host club screamed.

“Oh my god!”

“Is that Honey-senpai’s girlfriend?”

“I didn’t think he’d have one.”

Honey ignored the comments and led Hana to his table. “Here,” he said, “Have some cake with me.” Hana-chan hesitated before answering with a shy smile.

{The Host Club is now Closed}

“So, everyone, this is Hana-chan,” Honey presented. Hana bowed, clinging onto her yellow bunny.

“It’s nice to meet Honey-kun’s friends,” she said, “Thank you for also taking care of my best friend.”

“Best friend?” Hikaru questioned.

“She means Mina-san,” Kyouya answered.

“So Mina-chan and Hana-chan are like Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai,” Kaoru commented. Mina blushed as Hana smiled.

“This club is so cool!” she said while Hikari quietly headed towards the back of the room. “Where are you going, Hikari-chan?” Hikari stopped still, not knowing how to react.

“Now now, Hana-chan,” Tamaki said, trying to charm her with his hosting ability, “Hiroki-kun doesn’t like to be called by a girl’s name when he’s obviously-”

“Hikari-san?” Mina interrupted, “Hiroki-kun can’t be Hikari-san, Hana-chan. Hikari-san’s a girl.” Hana shook her head and skipped her way towards Hikari.

“You are Hikari-chan, aren’t you?” She gave Hikari a puppy face that resembled Tamaki’s. Her eyes grew big and the chandeliers made them shine bright; her lower lips overlapped the top lip, completing the face entirely. Hikari sighed and took down her hair.

“Sorry, Mina,” she said, “But there is no Hiroki-kun.” Mina held her mouth shut with her hands.

“I guess we both had secrets that we didn’t share with one another.” Hikari found her necklace sitting comfortably on her neck. “Because of certain circumstances, I had to disguise myself as a host…It’s actually because of my writing.” Haruhi grabbed Hikari’s shoulder as if insinuating she didn't need to say more. “It’s alright, Haruhi,” she said, “Mina’s now a part of our family, so she should know.” Mina didn’t move as Hikari explained her situation with the host club, the Niwazaki’s, her late parent’s, and Natasha. Once she finished, Hana-chan reacted the same as Honey did: Tears running down her face.

“Poor Hikari-chan,” she sobbed. Honey held her hand, trying to calm her down. Mina finally removed her hands from her mouth and stared at Hikari.

“So all in all,” Hikari concluded, “Hiroki-kun of the Host club doesn’t exist.” Silence roamed the room, making Hikari’s last sentence hang freely in the air.

“Actually,” Hikaru said breaking the silence, “Hiroki does exist…” He looked over at Hikari with a smirk. “…Hiroki-kun's just gay.” Hikari flushed as Mina and Yumi began to laugh. Mina’s laugh was cut short when she noticed that she wasn’t the only one that found Hikaru’s comment funny.

“Wow, Hikaru, I think that you made Hikari turn fifty shades of red,” Yumi replied, not noticing Mina losing her balance, causing her to fall on the couch.

“Wh-who are you?” She stuttered. Yumi looked at the surprised girl.

“Oh, sorry, I’m Kayume Yumi. Kaoru’s girlfriend.” Mina’s mouth flew open once more. Kaoru rubbed the back of his head and turned a little pink.

“So both twins are taken?” she asked, “I didn’t hear anything about Kaoru.”

“And you know, Nana-chan,” Honey said, “There’s also the fact that-” Haruhi’s hand flew in front of Honey’s mouth, preventing him from speaking.

“I think that’s enough facts for one day,” Haruhi commented, “Let’s let Mina-chan’s mind digest the facts that we’ve already shoved down her throat.”

“Oh no,” Mina interjected, “Your not shoving anything. I’m happy to hear these things. But I do agree that I’ve been given a lot of information today.” And with that, the club was dismissed.

~*******~

“Was it wrong of me to stop him?” Haruhi asked while Hikari continued to do the dishes.

“No way. I think that if Honey was about to say that you were actually a girl, Mina would have a stroke, the club would be sued, and we’d be asked to demolish the club entirely.” Haruhi smiled and looked out Hikari’s window. The night skyline was lit as bright as day.

“This is some view,” she complimented, “Kyouya-senpai gave you the best?” Hikari shook her head.

“It was the only hotel that had a free suite for me.”

“Ah, I see now.” The quiet sound of the night filled Hikari’s ears. Haruhi stared at her tea mug and sighed.

“Haruhi, is everything alright?” Haruhi looked up and smiled again.

“Yeah,” she answered, “It’s just…has Hikaru ever written you something?”

“Written to me something?” Hikari repeated, “What sort of something?” Haruhi shook her head.

“Forget about it. I’m just talking nonsense. Thanks for the dinner again.”

“No problem. Natasha and Kyouya-senpai are going to be together a lot, so I need someone to take me home.” Haruhi continued her smile and let herself out while Hikari wondered into her dark room, finding herself surprisingly tired.

_It was from all that writing that I did_ , she thought to herself. She pulled back the covers and fell into a deep sleep.

****

“Hikari-san, what’s Mori-senpai’s favorite food?” Mina pestered one day.

“I don’t know,” Hikari answered, “Honey-senpai would probably know the answer to that question.”

“But you’re in the same club as him,” Mina pointed out, “You’ve gotta know!”

“Why do you need to know so much?” Mina's face began to turn bright red.

“N-no reason really,” She stuttered, “I just wanted to see if I can make him something. That’s all.” She went back to her desk and left Hikari alone.

As the day quickly came to a close, Mina and Hikari went to the third music room and prepared for the Host Club to open. Before Hikari went towards the back room, she noticed Kyouya typing away on his laptop. His eyes were glued to the screen, moving as it scanned what was on it.

“Kyouya-senpai has been like that since we got here,” Haruhi said as if reading Hikari’s thoughts.

“Do you think it’s about the engagement?” Hikari asked. Haruhi nodded. A slip and a fall caught the two girl’s attention. Tamaki’s face was pinned to the floor while the rest of his body was in the air. Near him was the cause of his fall…a banana peel.

“Okay,” Hikari said, “We’ve got to do something about these banana peels.”

“Sorry, but we can’t.” Hikari placed her hands on her hips and faced the twins.

“Why?”

“Because,” Kaoru said, “Hikaru and I like to eat the bananas.”

“It’s Tono’s fault for not looking at where he’s going,” Hikaru added.

“Well, it’s your fault for not throwing your trash in the trashcan,” Haruhi said. Tamaki stood up, fire burning in his eyes that were glued on the twins.

“Why…you…twins…” he growled as the twins howled with laughter. “I was trying to think of a plan to unite Mina-chan and Mori-senpai’s love AND think of a way to get Kyouya out of his engagement.” Kyouya took his eyes away from his screen and adjusted his glasses.

“Tamaki,” he said, “I’ve got a better idea that might save you the effort.” But Tamaki wasn’t listening. Instead he continued to chase the twins around the room.

“You have a plan, Kyouya-senpai?” Hikari asked. Kyouya gave her a little smile.

“Things aren’t actually as bad as I thought.” Hikari and Haruhi gave each other suspicious looks.

“Kyouya-senpai,” Haruhi began, “Why are you so interested in this planning thing?” Kyouya looked at his watch.

“Don’t you two have to get ready for the club to open?” Hikari and Haruhi shrugged their shoulders and went into the back room to change.

{The Host Club is now Open}

Everything seemed calm as Hiroki wandered around. He was writing on his notepad, picking up phrases and ideas for his latest works when he stumbled upon Mori and Honey. He noticed that Hana-chan and Mina were their only guests.

“Hana-chan, Hana-chan,” Honey picked up a fork and aimed it at Hana’s mouth, “Say ‘Ah’.” Hana-chan opened her mouth wide as Honey put the cake piece in her mouth.

“Yummy!” she said with cake crumbs falling out of her mouth. Once she swallowed, she did the same thing to Honey.

“Hana-chan,” Mina interrupted, “you’ve got cake all over your mouth.” She was about to reach for her handkerchief on the table when her hand accidentally bumped into Mori-senpai’s hand.

“Oh my…I’m sorry. You can have it,” She said, her voice sounding surprised.

“It’s nothing. You can take it,” Mori replied. Mina rejected it again, saying that she had another one. When she looked in her pocket, she realized that the one on the table was all she's got.

“Here.” Mori handed her his handkerchief. “A trade.” Mina hesitated before she gave a small smile and took it. Hiroki couldn’t help but feel happy for the young couple.

“Hiroki,” Haruhi whispered, “I need to talk to you in the back. It’s urgent.” Hiroki followed Haruhi into the back and took down his hair.

****

“What wrong, Haruhi?” Hikari asked. Haruhi grabbed her hands and took a deep breath.

“I know who Kyouya-senpai’s fiancée is,” she answered. Hikari’s eyes grew wide with curiosity.

“Who?” She whispered. Haruhi let go of her hands and slightly opened the door. Hikari easily saw Mina having a good time and Hana-chan throwing her yellow bunny in the air. Haruhi took another breath.

“Kyouya-senpai’s fiancée…is Fujisaki Mina.” Hikari felt as if her heart stopped.

“So you’re saying that…” Haruhi nodded. Hikari looked back at the happy couple in the Host room.

“Kyouya-senpai…is going to marry Mina-chan.”

 


	17. Plans of Success

“Kyouya-senpai and Mina-chan are to be married!?” Tamaki, Hikaru, Kaoru, Yumi, and Honey said in unison. Hana-chan nodded.

“That’s right,” Hikari confirmed, “Mina-chan’s parents want her to marry wealthy and Kyouya’s father wants him to marry Proper. Mina-chan apparently has been primped and pampered for such an engagement, and then the arrangements were made.” The Host members looked out from the back room and stared at the subjects at hand. Mina was talking with Mori-senpai while Kyouya continued to type on his laptop.

“My children, listen well,” Tamaki began, “We must figure out a way to break the engagement AND for Mina-chan to fall into Mori-senpai’s arms.” The twins, Yumi, and Honey saluted.

“Senpai,” Haruhi interrupted, “Kyouya-senpai probably knows how to handle this. You don't need to disturb him.” Tamaki shook his head.

“I am his _brother_. I know what he's must be feeling.” Haruhi pinched her lips shut. “Come. I must tell you my idea.” As the host’s huddled together, Hikari and Haruhi left the back room and began to pack up. While Tamaki's intentions were good, she didn't want to be a part of it. Even for Natasha's sake, this needed to be handled with care.

“Haruhi!” Hikari heard Tamaki call the moment he finished, “Can you come over tonight?”

“I can’t, Senpai. I’ve got to cook dinner tonight,” she answered. Tamaki gave her a puppy face look, which won Haruhi over. “Fine, I’ll come. But only for a minute.” Tamaki threw his arms in the air with joy.

“Is anyone taking you home?” Hikaru asked, making Hikari jump by the sudden sound of his voice.

“Natasha’s taking me home, actually. Sorry.” She headed towards the door and grabbed the handle, but Hikaru’s fingers wrapped around her wrist.

“Can I please take you home?” he asked, “I haven’t really been with you in a while.” Hikari shook her head.

“Maybe some other time, Hikaru. But not tonight” He didn’t let go. “I promise I will.” He wasn't convinced. Those golden swirls in his eyes churned from the heat of his frustration. Hikari could feel it on her wrist. She muttered a plea once more before he loosened his grip. Then he let her go.

****

Hikari was silent for the rest of the evening. She didn’t even write her carry on with her the stories she'd worked on earlier that day. Instead, she opened her balcony door and felt the autumn breeze wipe her cheeks.

“I wonder what that was all about,” she thought aloud, “It’s true that Hikaru and I haven’t been together since Halloween, but I’ve been so busy. And this whole engagement love square has really gotten me down.” Hikari placed her hands over her face and shook her head.

“No no no! I’ve got to stop thinking about this. Tamaki-senpai and Kyouya-senpai will worry about it.” Suddenly, she remembered something Kyouya had mentioned earlier, “ _Things aren’t actually as bad as I thought._ ”

“He knew,” Hikari mumbled, “He knew it was Mina-chan and figured out that she liked Mori-senpai. So Haruhi was right.” She paused and thought about it for a moment. “Then I have nothing to worry about” A sudden knocking interrupted Hikari’s thoughts. When she looked through the peep-hole, she saw a familiar face. _Is that…?_ She opened the door. The lady standing outside smiled and bowed.

“Hikari-sama,” she said with joy, “I’m so glad to have found you.” She pulled out a book and presented it to Hikari. “You left this at the Mr. and Mrs.'place.”

“My father’s play,” Hikari replied, accepting the book, “You didn’t have to come all the way here for that.” The maid shook her head.

“It’s a pleasure.”

“Would you like to come in?” Hikari asked, “I’ve got more of my-” the maid shook her head and placed a finger over Hikari’s mouth.

“I’m also here to tell you about…” She looked into Hikari’s brown eyes, trying to find the right words. Hikari stared back seeing only fear and worry. The maid opened her mouth again.

“I can’t say for sure…but…” She continued to search her mind for the right words. “I know that you're aware that the Mr. and Mrs. are...rude people.” Hikari moved her finger away.

“I know that they’re rude,” Hikari said, “What are you trying to say?” The maid played with her hands and looked down the hallway.

“I…I’m not sure…but…all I know is that they’re planning something awful…” Her mouth opened to say more, but the voice didn’t come out. Instead, tears grew in her eyes and she began to sob. Hikari grabbed her hands and led her inside her suite.

“Oh no,” the maid said, “I must return home. I don’t want to be a burden.”

“You’re not a burden,” Hikari said, “Just tell me what they’re doing? Are they threatening you?” The maid shook her head.

“Just promise me…that you’ll never go near that house. Stay as far away from it as you can. Promise me.” Hikari looked into the maid’s glassy eyes and nodded Accepting that as her answer, the maid took her leave.

As Hikari closed the door, she felt something burning in her chest. She wrapped her fingers around the necklace, taking deep breaths. Somewhere in her heart, she felt that something dreadful was going to happen. _Mom…Dad…What do I do?_ Hikari shook her head and clenched her fists together.

“It’s alright,” she said aloud, “I’ve got more important matters to worry about, like Mina and Kyouya-senpai’s marriage.” With this thought in mind, she crawled into bed.

****

Hikari stormed through the Ouran garden, taking the familiar path Tamaki had shared. She wore a pouted look on her face, walking away from her fellow Ouran student.

“Aw come on, Hikari. We haven’t had some alone time in a long time and I thought that-”

“You had no right under any circumstances to creep into my room when the maid left and crawl into bed with me!” Hikari hissed as she felt her cheeks turn pink.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “I just haven’t been with you in a while.”

“I see you every day, Hikaru.”

“I know you do.” He walked in front of her, preventing her from walking any farther. Hikari began to see his eyes changing; the hazelish gold becoming more intense and longing. “But I want to see you outside of school.” He gently ran his fingers through her hair, bringing the strands that wrapped around his fingers to his lips. “I want to see you as you are. Hoshiyama Hikari: A crazy writer who lets her boyfriend invade her privacy.”

“I don’t let you-” Hikaru quickly pressed his lips onto hers, silencing her from finishing her sentence.

When he removed his lips, he whispered, “You say you don’t like it, but deep down in your heart…” he placed his finger below her necklace. “…you enjoy it when I’m around.” He kissed her cheek and took a few steps back. He cocked his head and gave her a devilish smile. “I'll let you be then.” Hikari didn't say anything. She couldn't. Her heart was too overwhelmed by his words, and the sensations he left her with.

All morning, Hikari couldn’t get the morning’s adventure out of her head. Every time she touched her hair, she remembered his lips. When she touched her necklace, she remembered his touch. When she saw gold anywhere, she remembered the longing in his eyes and his words whispering, “ _I want to see you as you are. Hoshiyama Hikari:_ ” Sometimes she'll hear, “ _…you enjoy it when I’m around._ ” Hikari blushed and smacked her head on the desk.

“Hikari-san?” Hikari rolled her head towards the voice calling to her. “You seem a little scattered. Is everything alright?” Hikari was able to see the blonde locks bouncing next to her as Mina gave her a worried look.

“I’m alright Mina-chan,” she answered, “Just…a lot of stuff on my mind.”

“I can relate.” _She’s probably thinking about the engagement_ , she thought, watching Mina prepare her books for the afternoon classes. Not wanting to worry her friend, Hikari excused herself, and tried to find Haruhi. She needed a distraction from thinking about Hikaru.To her luck, Haruhi was wandering through the hallway, looking like she had seen a ghost. Her eyes locked onto Hikari's and she immediately approached her.

“Hikari,” she whispered, “Can you come grab your lunch and then meet me in the library?” Hikari agreed, and Haruhi blushed. “Please hurry!” and then she ran down the hallway. Curiosity took over Hikiar's thoughts and promptly acquired her lunch. When she arrived, she found her friend looking through the books as if one of them held the answers to all of her questions.

“Hey, Haruhi.” Haruhi was startled by the sudden sound. “What on earth are you doing.”

“Well…can you close the door?” Hikari impatiently closed the doors and took a seat at one of the tables. Haruhi followed and began to explain. “Okay. What I’m about to say is…shocking and not me and…illogical. So don’t misjudge me and make jokes about what I’m about to tell you.” Hikari listened intently, leaning forward to hear Haruhi’s news.

“Tamaki-senpai…” Haruhi started over. “Tamaki-senpai…”

“Just say it, Haruhi,” Hikari whispered, “Just say it as one sentence.” Haruhi sat down next to her and took a deep breath.

“Ready?” she asked. Hikari nodded again.

“Tamaki-senpaisaidthathelovesme.” Hikari stared at her friend in amazement.

“What?” she asked.

“Tamaki-senpai…said that…he loves me.” Hikari thought for a moment.

“Do you mean ‘In love with you’? Meaning that at this moment, he loves you?” Haruhi nodded. “He actually confronted you in person saying the words ‘I love you’?” She nodded again. “He came up to you, looked deep into your big brown eyes, took you hand and said softly, but clearly, ‘Haruhi. I love you’.” Haruhi nodded. Hikari felt her heart fly with joy.

“OH MY GOD HARUHI!!!!! THAT’S GREAT NEWS!” She hugged her friend tightly wearing her biggest smile on her face. “Okay, what did he say exactly?” Hikari let Haruhi go in order to retrieve her answer.

“It’s a little embarrassing to say,” she answered turning really red, “Is it actually possible for you to come over tonight? That way I can tell you in details within the comfort of my own room.” Hikari was more than happy to accept.

Compared to the morning, Hikari’s afternoon was a happier one, but once she entered the third Music room, she only saw Tamaki, the twins, Honey-senpai, Hana-chan, and Yumi huddled together. Tamaki looked up and was happy to see his daughter entering the room.

“Hikari-chan!” Tamaki screamed, “Thank goodness you have arrived. I have my plan prepared.”

“Prepared for what?” Hikari asked.

“For canceling Kyouya and Mina-chan’s engagement, of course,” he answered. Hikari dropped her head.

“Kyouya-senpai probably has figured his own way of solving that problem,” she suggested. Tamaki only chuckled at her comment and snapped his fingers. Hikaru and Kaoru assembled together mirroring one another.

“Tono had asked us particularly…” Hikaru said.

“…to raid Kyouya-senpai’s laptop…” Kaoru continued.

“…and take a copy of what he plans on doing,” they finished in unison.

“That way,” Yumi interrupted, “Kyouya-kun can’t be angry with our action in helping.” Hikari didn’t know what to say. She wanted to cancel the engagement, but she didn’t want to interfere in Kyouya’s plan if she was not wanted.

“Senpai, that’s invading his privacy.” Hikari turned around and saw Haruhi standing behind her with her arms folded across her chest. “He’ll be really mad if you do it.”

“But we’ve got to save Nana-chan and Kyou-chan from marrying,” Honey said. Hana nodded.

“I know that Mina-chan would want this too,” she said. Haruhi and Hikari still didn’t like the idea. Finally, Kaoru broke away from Hikaru, grabbed Yumi by the waist and dipped her gently.

“You know, if I wasn’t allowed to be with Yumi-chan, I would go crazy,” He said, “If Kyouya isn’t allowed to be with Natasha, he’d probably go insane as well, especially since he's lost her once.” He propped Yumi back up on her feet. “That’s from Kyouya-senpai’s point of view. Think about how Mina-chan might feel.” Hikari knew Kaoru was trying to indicatetowards her feelings for Hikaru.

Remembering those words from earlier that day, she mumbled, “…Fine. But If Kyouya-senpai gets mad, he can’t blame me.”

“Ditto,” Haruhi said, “I’ll help too, but I’m with Hikari: He can’t get mad at us, since we didn’t want to do it.” Tamaki’s face began to glow with joy. He hugged Haruhi tightly.

“Thank you, Haruhi. I knew that you wouldn’t leave your husband alone in the battlefield.”

“YOU’RE NOT MY HUSBAND!”

“So…” Hikari interrupted, “What’s the plan then?” Tamaki let Haruhi go and pulled out a white board. As he scribbled, Hikari looked over at the twins. They were back acting in unison. _Kaoru and Hikaru are so different_. Her eyes wondered towards Yumi who was staring at Kaoru in amazement.

_She must still be in shock about what Kaoru did. I know I would be._ Before she began to think deeper on the subject, Tamaki announced his plan.

“Kyouya wants to have a ‘one-on-one’ talk with Mina-chan, right? It's very simple. We just carefully watch the proceedures so that if anything goes wrong, we can run in and get him out of there!” Hikari shook her head.

“On second thought, I'm not interested.”

“I agree,” Haruhi second, “Kyouya-senpai has gotten this under control.”

“Hey, Mimi-chan, wanna have some cake with me and Hana-chan?”

“I'd love some!” Yumi replied. One by one the group began to dwindle while Tamaki continued to cry out to them.

“MY LOYAL SUBJECTS!”

****

“I can’t believe that Tamaki-senpai almost convinced us to join him in his plan,” Hikari whispered to Haruhi as she got ready.

“I agree,” Haruhi said, “but at least we got out of it in time. Though I hope everything goes smoothly between Mina and Kyouya-senpai.” A knock on the door silenced the girls and Yumi entered.

“Five minutes girls,” she said. “And is it ok if I stay back here while the club is running?” Hikari and Haruhi looked at one another and shrugged.

“Sure,” Hikari said, “But aren’t you normally back here when the host club is open?”

“Nope. Usually I’m in the kitchen helping with the food and tea, but Kaoru said that he needed me to be back here today. So…”

“It’s all yours.” Hikari tied her hair up and left the back room.

{The Host Club is now Open}

Hiroki’s eyes kept on wandering towards Mori-senpai’s table. Mina continued to talk to him as he offered her some tea.

“I think they’d make a fine couple,” One of Hiroki’s guest commented.

“Indeed they are,” Hiroki commented, “But do you know which couple might beat them?” the girl shook her head. “You and the man of your dreams.” The girl blushed.

“Can you write about that?” she asked shyly.

“Of course I can.” Hiroki took out his notepad and wrote the thought down. As he jotted down his idea, he saw Kyouya walking towards Mina and spoke to her with a smile. Once she nodded, they headed towards the back room, which caused an uproar with the ladies.

“Oh no!”

“Kyouya-senpai and Mina-san?”

“How can he stand to be near her?”

Hiroki saw Tamaki sneak away from his guest and placed his ear by the door. “Senpai, why are you eavesdropping on them?” Haruhi asked. Tamaki jumped as Haruhi glared at his actions.

“I’m not spying,” he protested, “I’m just keeping a watchful eye over them.” Haruhi rolled her eyes and walked towards Hiroki.

“Tamaki-kun…” one of the girls said, “Is Mina-san more to your liking than I?” Tamaki tore himself away from the door and held the girl’s hand. Hiroki noticed the atmosphere around the two changed into something…rosy.

“Of course not, Hime-sama. You’re the only woman that I can behold. Come, let me take you away from your doubts into a world of sincerity.”

“Tamaki-kun…”

“Looking at that makes me wonder who he really is,” Haruhi said, bringing Hiroki away from the rosy scenery, “He really likes to flatter his guests around.” Hiroki chuckled.

“If I didn’t know any better,” he said, “I would say that you’re a little jealous.” Haruhi turned a little pink and held his head in the air.

“I’m not jealous,” he denied, “I’m just…paranoid. That’s all.” Hiroki smiled while rolling his eyes.

“By the way,” Haruhi said changing subject, “I just realized something. How’s Kaoru going to get in and give Yumi her gift when Kyouya-senpai has a meeting with Mina-chan in the back room?” Hiroki shrugged.

“I’m not sure,” Hiroki replied. He saw Kaoru and Hikaru perform their brotherly love act when Kaoru excused himself to get some more tea for his guests. “Do you think he’s going to Yumi-chan?”

“I don’t know,” Haruhi replied as they watched Kaoru entering the kitchen.

“Well, there’s only one way to find out.” Hiroki grabbed Haruhi’s wrist. “Let’s follow him.”

“Hiroki,” Haruhi said with a hint of annoyance in his voice, “You’re beginning to act like Senpai.”

“But I was going to get some tea anyway.” Haruhi took his wrist back.

“Then how about this: You follow Kaoru and I watch the spying wolf over there,” he suggested pointing at Tamaki. Hiroki sighed and nodded.

“Fine. I won’t be long.” Haruhi nodded and went back to his table. Hiroki, however, went to find Kaoru in the kitchen.

****

Hikari took her hair down and wandered around the kitchen. She imagined what the floor-plan of the backroom would be and went to find the back door according to where she thought that the two rooms stood next to each other. Eventually, she stumbled upon a door that she never noticed before. As she turned the handle, she heard voices.

_I guess I found it_ , she thought. She carefully entered the room, quietly closing the door behind her. She stayed towards the back of the backroom and eventually found herself finding Kaoru and Yumi.

“Kaoru, this is beautiful!”

“Thanks. I knew that you’d like it. Once you pointed it out last Sunday, I knew that you’d want it.” Hikari saw a beautiful cherry blossom flower pin in Yumi’s black hair. She wrapped her arms around Kaoru, giving him a big hug.

“Do you want another surprise?” He asked. Yumi pulled away from him, jumping up and down.

“You got me something else?” Kaoru nodded.

“But you’ve got to stand still, or I can’t give it to you.” Yumi stopped jumping and calmed down. Hikari felt her stomach turning and her eyes looked at Kaoru. She felt her heart stopping the way it did when she read the climactic part of a book.

_Kaoru isn’t going to…wait, I don’t think that I should be watching this_. She was about to turn around, but someone’s body got in the way.

“Kaoru told me about this. I’m surprised that he’s actually pulling through.”

“Hikaru!” Hikari hissed, “I don’t want to see this! It’s none of my business!!!”

“Yumi would want you to see this,” he said, “You’re her childhood friend.”Hikari looked back at the couple.

“Are you ready?” Kaoru asked. Yumi nodded and closed her eyes. Kaoru approached her, cupped her face, and pressed his lips onto hers. Her eyes flew open as she felt Kaoru’s kiss. They were at first shocked, but then they closed and Yumi let her body relax. Hikari felt a smile appear on her face. _Good job, Kaoru. You made my friend very happy indeed._

“Kaoru did it,” Hikaru said, “But I think that we’re better.” He twirled Hikari around and kissed her. “Come on. Let’s see if Kyouya-senpai is out of that engagement.” Hikaru grabbed her hand, laced his fingers through hers, and led her towards the hidden door. When they exited the kitchen, they noticed that all of the guests had left and Tamaki had made a crack in the door leading to the back room.

“What’s happening, Tono?” Hikaru asked.

“Kyouya and Mina-chan had just finished explaining their financial situation and are now discussing about what excuse to use for canceling the engagement.”

“So basically…” Hikari said. Tamaki turned around and smiled.

“Kyouya will not marry Mina-chan and will continue to spend his life with Natasha.” Hikari felt Hikaru put his arm around her.

“You’re happy now, aren’t you.” Hikari nodded as Tamaki burst trough the doors.

“Congratulations, brother, on canceling the engagement!!!!!” Kyouya and Mina stared at Tamaki as he ran towards them.

“Tamaki,” Kyouya said, a stress vein appearing on his forehead. “What are you doing here?”

“I was watching you two from above!” he answered. Kyouya excused himself kindly from Mina and walked towards Tamaki. Hikari felt fear for Tamaki because Kyouya had his devil face on, scaring the color out of Tamaki.

“THIS IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS! AND I’M NOT REALATED TO AN IDIOT LIKE YOU!” Kyouya growled. He adjusted his glasses as he pulled himself together and walked back towards Mina.

“I’m sorry about that,” he said.

“It’s alright, Kyouya-san. I’m just glad that we had this situation settled now.” Kyouya smiled, adjusting his glasses again.

“And don’t worry, your secret is safe with me,” he added.

“What secret?” Hikaru whispered.

“The one that Mina-chan likes Mori-senpai,” Tamaki replied loudly. Mina’s eyes filled with tears and she began to sob. Hana-chan ran up to her friend and tried to comfort her.

“YOU KNEW!” she screamed, “You knew all along! Now he’ll never like me.” Everyone glared at Tamaki, especially Haruhi.

“Senpai,” she said, “That was heartless.” Tamaki dramatically showed his surprised face and pretended to faint on the floor.

“Mina.” Everyone looked to the front door and saw Mori-senpai entering the room. Mina still had tears dripping down her face as he walked up to her, wiping the tears away with his handkerchief. “You left your cookbook in the lunch room.” He pulled out her book. Mina’s eyes grew wide and she looked up at him. “So don’t cry anymore,” he said with a smile. Mina returned the smile and embraced her book tightly.

“Tono looks dead,” Hikaru pointed out, letting Hikari go and bending over the non-moving body.

“Well wouldn’t you drop dead when your brother told you that you were not brother?” Kaoru asked.

“You know I would, Kaoru,” Hikaru answered, honest and true. An evil grin then appeared on his face, “Though is it the end for our Tono? After all, if Kyouya-senpai isn't on his side, is Haruhi?"

“Maybe Haruhi has a secret lover?” Kaoru suggested, placing the same look on his face, “You know, I did see Haruhi walking down the street with another man.” A sudden sound came from Tamaki’s mouth. Unexpectedly, he rose and pointed at the twins.

“Haruhi is my dear dear wife! She’d never do that!” Fire was burning in his eyes again.

“I’m NOT your WIFE, senpai,” Haruhi said emphasizing the words “not” and “wife”. Tamaki gasped and pulled out his handkerchief.

“BROTHER! Haruhi is using foul language! Please talk to her!” he shouted, biting onto his handkerchief.

“Actually, I’m going to escort Hikari downstairs to her car,” Kyouya said, “So please excuse me.” He pushed Hikari towards the door.

“Wait, Kyouya-senpai,” Haruhi said, “She's coming with me. She’s spending the night.”

“I see. Then come along Haruhi.” The three left Tamaki calling Haruhi’s name at the door. Once Hikari reached the Ouran gates, she saw Natasha pulling up in their car. As she got out, Hikari whispered,

“Haruhi and I will go into the car and you can tell Natasha the good news.” Kyouya didn’t say anything, but the two crawled inside to give them their privacy. From what Hikari saw, Natasha jumped up and down, hugged, and kissed Kyouya for his wonderful work. The two girls giggled as Natasha returned to her driver seat. She hummed a little song completely composed on the spot.

“I can’t believe he did it!” she said.

“Congratulations,” Haruhi said.

“Thank you, Haruhi-chan. Now where’re you girls going this evening?” Hikari smiled

“Haruhi invited me to sleepover tonight,” Hikari said, “She needs to explain something to me.”

“So Tamaki confessed to you already?” Natasha asked, “Bravo, Haruhi.” Haruhi blushed.

“It’s nothing like that. It’s just-”

“Oh my,” Natasha said slowing down the car, “Hikari, isn’t that…?” Hikari looked out her window and saw the maid from the other night. She was walking towards the school, but seemed completely lost.

“It is.”

“Who?” Haruhi asked.

“She’s a maid that works for the Niwazaki clan, but I’d lend her my father’s books and she’d protect my secret about writing. I wonder where she’s heading.” Natasha stopped the car and got out to meet the maid. She looked happy to see Natasha. As she spoke though, Natasha’s face became frightened. She ran back to the car and grabbed her phone.

“What’s wrong, Natasha?” Hikari asked, but she didn’t hear. She typed numbers in her phone and began to wait for the person to pick up.

“We’ve got trouble…I’ve just been informed that they might be at the hotel. I need you to drive behind me so that if they see us, they won’t do anything to hurt her…Okay…fifteen minutes…Alright. I’ll see you then.” As she put her phone away, she spoke.

“Haruhi, please call your father and Tamaki. Tell your father that you’ll be coming home a little bit late and tell Tamaki that Kyouya is picking him and the rest of the club up. Hikari, I need you to call Hikaru and let him know the same. They all might have left the club already.”

“Natasha!” Hikari screamed, but she was interrupted.

“Don’t ask now, just do what I say. Ito-san, please get in the front with me.” Ito nodded and entered the car. As she buckled herself in, she took out a tissue and blew her nose.

“Ito…san,” Hikari said quietly. Ito turned her head to look in the back seats.

“Hikari-sama…I’m so sorry.” She began to sob again. “I tried to stop them…but-”

“Ito-san, please don’t worry. Everything will be fine,” Natasha said.

“I just hope so. If they…oh I can’t even imagine what they would do.” Natasha drove furiously back to the hotel. Hikari took out her phone and began to call Hikaru.

_Hikaru’s not picking up_. She hung up and tried Kaoru. No one picked up. She dialed Yumi's and began to worry. _What if no one answeres? What if no one comes?_ She heard three rings and then Yumi’s voice.

“Hey Hikari, what’s up? I just left Ouran and-”

“Where’re the twins?”

“They just left too.”

“Can you please run and catch up with them?”

“Hikari, what’s going-”

“I DON’T KNOW!” Hikari shouted. Everyone in the car looked back at her as she covered her mouth. “Sorry. Just please run and catch up with them…thanks, I’ll wait.” Hikari waited on the phone as the car stopped at a red light. She looked out the window and saw someone putting out Christmas decorations.

_That’s right_ , she thought, _Christmas is coming up. I wonder where I’ll spend it this year._ She heard little mumbles coming out of her phone.

“I assume yours?” Yumi asked between breaths.

“Yes.” She heard the phone being passed and then Hikaru’s voice.

“Hey Hikari, is everything alright?”

“I’m not sure,” she said, “But Kyouya-senpai is picking you the Host members up and then taking you to the hotel I’m staying at.” Hikari heard Kaoru’s voice on the other end and Hikaru responding.

“I see him now,” he said, “Is he going to take me to you?”

“Yes, he will, just…” Hikari wanted to say hurry, but she didn’t want to worry him any more.

“I’ll be there as fast as I can.” And then he hung up. Hikari took down her phone and bit her lips together.

“Natasha,” Haruhi said, “Why are we taking a different route to get to the hotel?”

“We need to give Kyouya time to catch up with us. And if I’m right…” Natasha did a sharp right turn, pushing Hikari against the window and Haruhi on her. Once they were driving in a straight line again, Haruhi looked behind her.

“They’re behind us,” she said aloud. Hikari looked back and saw the Ootori black limo following her car.

“Alright,” Natasha said, “Let’s head to the hotel.” Hikari sat patiently in her seat, fiddling with her phone.

“It’s alright, Hikari,” Haruhi said, “I’m sure that everything will be alright.”

“I hope so, Haruhi.” In no time, Natasha pulled up in front of the hotel.

“Nobody leaves this car until the boys get us,” she said, “That way, if they’re still in there, they can’t get to us.”

“Who?” Hikari asked. Natasha turned off the car and looked at her.

“The Niwazaki’s.” Hikari felt fear run through her blood. Her heart began to beat fast and her body wanted to run. As soon as Hikaru opened the door, Hikari pushed him out of her way and ran inside.

“Hikari!” he called out chasing her, but that didn’t stop her. She ran through the lobby trying to find an elevator that was heading up. Once she saw an elevator about to close, she slipped inside. There were other people inside, sompletely surprised by her actions, but she just ignored them. She was on the top floor, and had a while to go.

_What could they have done?_ She thought, pacing the elevator floor, _Could they be waiting take me back? Did they try to find something to blackmail me with?_ A dreaded thought ran through her mind.

“…no…” The elevator doors opened and Hikari ran towards her door. She took out her room card and tried to open it. Her hands were trembling, making the process seem like hours rather than seconds. Once she got it to open, she threw the door open and froze. Her body became numb and she fell to the floor, knees together pushing her legs outwards. Hikari only heard the sound of her heart banging in her ears. She faintly heard footsteps growing louder as The Host Club approached her. Haruhi and Yumi were the first to catch up with her, and once they saw it, they gasped.

The rest of the club caught up to them, but they didn’t approach Hikari. They were scared touchingher would break her into a thousand pieces. Hikaru slowly walked his way towards her, but stopped when Hikari moved. She raised one hand and wrapped it around her butterfly necklace. The other hand wrapped around the first. Seconds later, she screamed. It was a scream that was begging to leave her head. Hikari heard her blood flowing like poison through her body, making it painful to move. Steaming hot tears ran down her face like rain during a thunder storm. The club ran to her aid, but stared at the sight.

There were scraps of paper all over her room; empty notebook covers lying on the floor, chairs, and tables with a ridged middles. The windows were open, inviting the cool wind to sweep away the story bits outside. Notebook paper wasn’t the only possession ruined. Pictures of her late family were also torn to shreds, scratched, and drawn upon. No one moved as Hikari continued to scream and sob.

“Those bastards!” Hikaru mumbled. Kyouya caught a piece floating above him and passed it to Hikari. With little effort she took it and read what it said It was written in by her hand: _She was saddened by the sight. Falling to her knees and bawling like a mother who lost her child. She had lost everything…and nothing can bring them back_.

“Mom…Dad…” Everyone was surprised to hear words come out of Hikari’s throat. Suddenly, Hikari saw her parents dash across her mind. She pushed herself onto her legs and weakly stood up. Her feet shook with every step as she stumbled into the room screaming, “Mom! Dad! Where are you!? Please answer!” She fell to her knees again and sobbed again. She wrapped her arms around herself and hunched over. “Don’t leave me! Don’t leave Natasha! Don’t leave us alone!”

“You’re not alone.” Strong arms wrapped around Hikari, pulling her close. Hikari touched the arm to make sure it was real. A familiar smell filled her nose…rose and spices followed by warms lips pressed against the side of her head. _Hikaru_.

“Hikari,” said a gentle voice. Hikari looked up and saw Natasha. Tears poured down her face as well. “I’m so sorry.” Hikari broke away from Hikaru and hugged Natasha tightly.

“They’re gone. They’re really gone. Nothing can bring them back.” Natasha held her tightly, brushing her hair with her fingers.

“They’re never gone,” she replied, trying to keep her voice stable. “They’re forever with you.”

“Not anymore. My stories… They were in my stories... My stories about life with them… My stories that I wrote when they were still alive!” Natasha didn’t know what to say. She just tightened her grip on her dear dear sister.

“Natasha,” Haruhi said, “We need to get Hikari out of here. For now, let's put her on her bed. You keep an eye on her while we start packing her things.” Natasha nodded.

“I believe that’s best.”

“I’ll carry her,” Hikaru said. Natasha gave another nod and as if a young child handed Hikari off to him. Hikari’s hands returned to her necklace as the tears continued to fall. Hikaru planted his feet and pushed upwards, lifting Hikari with ease.

Natasha followed him, turning on the light and then clearing the bed of books and pens. Once Hikaru placed her on a cleared spot, he placed his lips over her eyes.

“Don’t leave,” Hikari whispered. Hikaru smiled.

“You don’t have to ask.” He placed himself against the headboard of the bed, inviting Hikari to lie across his body, which she did. She placed her head on his chest and heard his heart beating in her ears. As Hikaru wrapped his arms around her, Hikari closed her eyes and fell asleep.

 


	18. A Host Party

“…damage the stories she wrote. They think that if they make her look like a beast, people will sympathize with them and offer them financial aid, so as to provide them the necessities for keeping a wild child calm.”

“This is very useful, Ito-san.”

“Yes, it is.”

“But why are you still working there?”

“Because I owe Hikari-sama my gratitude. Years ago, when I was gonna leave that place, Hikari-sama came into the picture. Knowing what could happen to her I stayed to look out for her. But in the process she lent me some of her parent's works” She paused and giggled. “Turned out she helped me as well. She gave me knowledge of the arts, sparking an interest in screenwriting. The plays and articles motivated me to start saving for university to return to my education... But when she left, I knew something was up. I needed to stay to find out what.”

“Are all the staff against the Niwazaki’s?”

“Yes, they are, but no one dares to cross paths with them.”

_What’s happening? What happened?_ Hikari’s eyes slowly fluttered opened. She saw Natasha on the floor looking at something at the foot of the bed. Her honey-colored eyes fell onto hers and smiled.

“Did we wake you?” Hikari shot up and looked around. Everyone was with her.

“I had such a scary dream,” she said, “I dreamt that I came home to all of these torn up notebooks only to discover that they were _mine_. All've them from my first words to my latest.” She exhaled and shook her head. “My pictures, too. The one of me and my parents were torn up… my god it was scary.” Everyone fell silent. “What’s wrong?”

“That wasn’t a dream,” Kyouya replied, “It was real.” Hikari got off the bed and looked outside her bedroom. Everything looked clean, but it looked empty. A quick scan about the room didn't reveal her piles of notebooks.

“Please don’t freak out,” Yumi requested, grabbing Hikari’s shoulders, “We grabbed what we could of the scraps and put them in a bag. When you’re ready to, you can look through them.” Hikari fell back onto her bed.

“Oh man…” she whimpered, her throat tighten together.

“I hadn't seen you that broken since your parents died,” Natasha shared, pulling out a scrap of paper from her pocket. Hikari took it and nodded, biting her lower lip.

“So…all of my stories are gone…” Hikari’s vision began to blur and tears began to roll down her face again.

“Unforgivable…” Hikari looked up at Tamaki who placed his hand on his head.

“I will not tolerate for this! I will not forgive the people who hurt my daughter.” He came and sat down next to Hikari.

“We are a family. All of us. And every day we keep growing. Hikari, we will do our best to keep you safe. You’re not going anywhere.” Hikari blushed and wiped her tears away.

“Hikari.” Hikari looked up, surprised to hear Mori-senpai speak to her. He smiled and rubbed her head. “Come by the dojo on Sundays. Mitsukuni and I can teach you different defense forms from all the arts we know. You never know if you'll need it.”

“Takashi,” Honey said. He hoped on Hikari’s lap and smiled, “You know, Takashi’s right. We can teach you martial arts to protect yourself from the bad guys. Messing with my friends is a big no-no, right?” Hikari smiled.

“We packed your things,” Kaoru said, “Don’t worry, Yumi dealt with your personal stuff. We didn't see anything she thought you wouldn't like us seeing.”

“You’re going to spend the night at our house,” Hikaru added.

“Is that even allowed?” Hikari asked.

“Well, personally, I would rather you stay in my house,” Kyouya said, “because that way Natasha could stay over and take care of you. But _he_ insisted on looking out for you.” Hikari glanced over at Hikaru, who smiled and held a peace sign. When she didn’t respond, he brought his mouth towards her ear.

“You know what that means? I get to see you in your PJs. And I can slip into your bed at night and-” Hikari pushed Hikaru away, blushing furiously, and knocking Honey off her lap.

“You jerk!” she screamed throwing a never ending amount of pillows at Hikaru. He laughed.

“Well at least I got you to stop crying.” Hikari stopped and felt her cheek…no tears.

“We should hurry this up,” Kyouya suggested, “The cars are waiting downstairs, and who know when a second wave will appear.” The boys gathered together and began to take the bags downstairs, Yumi walked with Hikari and Haruhi towards the door.

“Do you know what?” she said, “I feel like we should have a party.”

“Yumi-chan,” Haruhi said, “This isn’t something to celebrate about.”

“We’re not celebrating this,” she rebuttled, “We’re going to celebrate the joy of celebrating. Different soda drinks, lots of food, lots of dancing, lots of fun!”

“A party…” Hikaru said.

“A party sounds like fun,” Kaoru added.

“YAY! A party!” Honey shouted, “I hope that they’ll be cakes!”

“Ah.”

“Yes! A party is most important at a time like this,” Tamaki encouraged. “Kyouya, make the arrangements now! We’ll have it at my house, since I am king.”

“Oh yes, Kyouya, do!” Natasha encouraged. “It’ll be fun!” Kyouya took out his phone and began to make some calls.

“Well, Hikari,” Haruhi said, “Don’t you think that we’ve got a crazy family?” Hikari shook her head.

“They’re not crazy,” she said, “They just love to try and make you laugh everyday.” Haruhi giggled.

“You’re right.” Yumi suddenly gasped, catching the two girl’s attention.

“Do you know what this calls for?” Haruhi and Hikari shook their heads, “A SHOPPING SPREE! We can’t go to this party in ‘already worn' clothes.”

“I agree!” Natasha said. “I’ll take all the girls, oh Kyouya, you must also invite Mina-chan and Hana-chan. It’ll be sad to not see everyone slow dancing together.”

“Oh my Natasha,” Yumi said with a smirk, “You’re a clever one.”

“This’ll be fun.” the twins said together.

“Wait a minute,” Haruhi said, “Are you saying now? Isn’t it a little too late for a party?”

“It’s never too late to party,” Hikaru answered.

“That’s right,” Kaoru added, “Besides, it’ll be lots of fun.” He looked on over at Yumi and winked. She blushed and smiled, turning her head away from embarrassment.

“Now, my ladies, find the best clothes to move in,” Tamaki suggested, “And then meet at my house when you’re done.”

“Sounds good!” Yumi said, Everyone began to leave the suite, but Hikari had trouble taking that last step. She looked back at her suite.

“Don’t worry,” Kyouya assured, “We've carefully looked through the room and found all that we could. We’ll take your stuff downstairs and to the Hitachiin residence, where it'll be safe from accidents like this.”

“Thank you, Kyouya-senpai.” Kyouya didn’t move. “Thank you for helping my family in the past…and for helping me now…It really means a lot to me.” A smile grew on Kyouya’s face.

“It was my pleasure.”

“Well don’t just stand there,” Kaoru interrupted, “Go buy some clothes from our mother’s boutique.”

“Yeah,” Hikaru added, “And if you get lost, there will people there to help.” He gently rubbed Hikari's cheek. “Wear something that makes you feel the happiest.” Hikari felt her heart beating fast and her cheeks burning.

“O-okay,” she stuttered.

Hikaru reached for her hand and brought it to his lips. “Until tonight, Hikari-hime-sama.” He twirled her around and gently pushed her towards the other girls, who were already by the elevator. Without looking back, she walked towards them, focusing only on putting one foot in front of the other.

Natasha drove them to the boutique, sharing with Yumi about her hopes about the party. From what Hikari gathered, it was just gossip as to how everyone's nights could end. She and Haruhi refused to listen any farther.

As they pulled up to the store, Hikari saw two figures in the window.

“Haruhi,” Hikari said, “Are they…?”

“Yep,” Haruhi answered, “They’re here to torture us some more.” Natasha and Yumi stepped out of the car and dragged the two girls out. Hikari was not looking forward to another whirlwind of twin-maid madness. Once inside, the two maids smiled with the same, perfect grin.

“You must be the maids I’ve heard so much about,” Natasha commented. The maids curtsied.

“It’s a pleasure working with you,” they said in unison.

“Can you take care of these two first?” Yumi suggested, “They’re not going to get anything done if they decide on their own.” The maids' smile became hungry.

“Then…Shall we?” They reached out and grabbed the two, towing them towards the back. Hikari soon found herself in the dressing room in only her underwear and bra. She called out to Haruhi, who replied in the changing room next to her. Before another word could be spoke, however, the maids returned. One maid entered Hikari's chamber an outfit for the occasion.

“The master suggested this,” she sweetly mentioned.

“‘Master’?” Hikari repeated, but the maid didn’t respond. She instead hoisted the clothes onto her. There weren’t many pieces of clothing to put on her, but it was the only task the maid had to do. She pulled Hikari’s brown hair up into a high pony-tail, involving lost of hair spray, causing Hikari to cough constantly. As the hair spray floaters disappeared, Hikari felt a cold, gooey substance smeared across her face. It sent a chills all throughout her body. Lastly, the maid placed on Hikari's shoes.

“There,” she said “You’re finished.” Her hand wrapped around a golden rope. “Behold, your party attire.” She pulled on the rope, raising a red curtain for Hikari to see her reflection. Hikari didn’t believe that the person in the mirror was her until she moved.

“Oh god…” She was wearing a glittery, light blue thick single-strap tang-top, the strap hugged Hikari's right side comfortably. The shirt ended above her stomach while her low-rise, hip-hugging, dark blue jeans showed off her long legs; a feature she didn’t believe she had. Her shoes were light blue sandals with a one inch elevation platform and rose another half inch at her heel. Hikari looked closerat her face and noticed some glitter catching in the light.

“Would you like some glitter on your shoulder and stomach?” the maid asked as if reading her thoughts about the glitter.

“Why not.” The maid happily placed the cold glitter on, making Hikari shine bright. “Oh, there’s one more thing.” She pulled out a light blue ribbon and tied it over the rubber band holding Hikari’s hair. “And let’s not forget these.” She added silver bangles on Hikari’s right wrists and a slim, dark blue watch on the left. “Oo, we can’t have you leave without this.” The maid slid a band up her arm until it was able to hug Hikari’s arms comfortably. “And we can’t forget the lip-gloss.” She pulled out a light pink lip-gloss and rubbed it over Hikari’s lips. “Now you’re complete.” Hikari stared at her reflection and nodded.

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” Without thinking, Hikari ran to Haruhi's changing space and pulled the curtains back. Haruhi wore a thin strapped halter dress the color of her host rose that crossed across her collar bone. It hugged her at her chest and loosened at her waist, falling half way down her thighs. She wore black leggings under it too. Glitter sparkled on her body and had a small braid on the left side of her head.

“Wow,” Hikari said, not revealing her true thoughts. Haruhi noticed her in the mirror and sighed.

“I agree. This outfit is ridiculous!”

“Not really,” Hikari objected, “I think that it looks really good on you.”

“Fujioka-sama forgot her bracelets,” the other maid said. She placed thick, hugging, dark glittery red bracelets on Haruhi’s wrists. Now she was complete…though she continued to scowl.

“Haruhi-chan shouldn’t pout,” said a tiny voice. The two turned around and saw Hana-chan in a white frilly dress with red ribbons, matching with her yellow rabbit. “If she pouts, the outfit won’t please her prince.” Haruhi blushed.

“You know, Hana-chan, you shouldn’t…” Haruhi’s eyes suddenly grew wide. She slowly turned her head around to look at the little girl, who continued to stare at her with her smile. “Hana-chan…who told you I was a girl?”

“No one told me,” she answered, “I could tell!” Haruhi sighed.

“Hana-chan,” Hikari heard Mina calling, “Who are you talking to?” Hana-chan turned around and pointed.

“Haruhi-chan.” Mina looked at the girl in red and stared.

“She does look like Haruhi-kun, but she can’t be. Haruhi-kun is a boy.” she replied, giving Hana-chan a gentle smile.

“But it’s Haruhi-chan. It's obvious that she’s a girl.” Hana-chan trotted over to Haruhi and lifted her red dress. Under it was a pink undershirt Haruhi normally wore. Mina gasped while Haruhi struggled to pull her dress down.

“So…Both Hiroki-kun and Haruhi-kun are fakes?” Mina asked. Haruhi held her hands up in defense and shook her head. She explained to Mina about her situation with the Host Club: Breaking the vase, the debt, and deciding to stay.

“So basically, you just dress-up and act like a guy?” Mina asked.

“Basically, yeah.”

“And did you know that Haruhi and Tamaki-kun are dating?” Yumi asked out of nowhere. Mina gasped in total shock as Haruhi pouted.

“Why did you have to say that?” she groaned. Yumi shrugged. Her yellow, bell-sleeved belly shirt fit her perfectly, moving as well as she did.

“Yumi-chan looks super cute!” Hana-chan commented. Yumi patted her head.

“Thank you, Hana-chan.”

“Isn’t that skirt a little too short?” Hikari asked. Yumi looked at her jean skirt and laughed.

“Kaoru told me to wear something sexy, and this defiantly shows off my long legs.” She struck a pose and winked. Everyone rolled their eyes.

“Oh,” she said, pulling out her digital camera, “I’ll also be the photographer of the evening. So you’d better be with your proper hosts tonight.”

“Great,” Haruhi sulked.

“I hope I don’t look too plain at the party,” Mina said, “It would be embarrassing if everyone was so elegant and I wasn’t.”

“Don’t worry,” Yumi said, “Mori-senpai will love your purple and black dress.” She winked again. “It’s very wild.” Mina blushed.

“Come one girls!” Natasha called from the front. “We’re going to be late if you keep dawdling.” Hikari followed her fellow girls, comforting the sulking Haruhi. When she saw Natasha, she thought she dislocated her jaw. Natasha’s blonde hair was down and curly, reminding Hikari how long Natasha’s hair really is. She wore a lavender tub-top and black pants toped off with black high heels. She was wearing make-up that matched, making Hikari think that she was the prettiest out of the six.

“Oh my god, Natasha,” Hikari said, “You look like…”

“An idol?” Natasha finished. Hikari nodded. “Well, I wanted to remind someone who they’re dealing with.”

“I suddenly feel sorry for Kyouya-senpai,” Haruhi whispered. Hikari laughed.

“I think Kyouya needs someone like her.”

“Now come on, you lovely girls,” Natasha instructed, “Time waits for no woman.” As they left towards Natasha’s car, the maids took out handkerchiefs and waved them in the air as if saying good-bye adding a smile.

****

Hikari was amazed at the sight of Tamaki’s house. There were three parts to it, like at Hikaru and Kaoru’s. Natasha drove to the third building since where she saw the multi-colored lights. As the girls approached the building, the lights suddenly turned off. Natasha stepped out of the car and placed her nose in the air.

“How rude,” she commented, slamming the door shut. “They started the party without us and tried to hide it.”

“I’m going to make them pay,” Yumi threatened. The rest followed the two through the grand, wooden, double doors. Hikari couldn’t see anything, no matter how hard she tried. But that didn’t stop the two angry ladies in front of her, for they stormed through the darkness, waiting to crash into one of the boys. However, they didn’t.

“Where are you?!” Yumi yelled. Suddenly, six spot light turned on around the room. Hikari followed their beams, and to her surprise, they pointed at the hosts, each of them bowing.

“Welcome, princesses,” Tamaki said in his charming voice, “We welcome your own Host Party!” The lights in the room flashed on, causing Hikari to close her eyes. When she opened them, she smiled broadly. On the left side of the room was the food was and the right the beverages…coming out of fountains.

“This is going to be so much fun!” Hana-chan expressed, squeezing her bunny tightly. Tamaki left his post and came towards his guests.

“Natasha-san,” he said, “May I take one of your beautiful ladies?” Hikari saw the question wrapping around Haruhi tightly.

“I guess tonight, you’re his wife,” Hikari whispered to Haruhi.

“This isn’t a cosplay,” Kyouya said, popping out of nowhere, scaring the two whispering. His sly smile showed Hikari that he was pleased with his scare.

“Excuse me,” he said brushing passed them. The two men passed each other as they approached their ladies. Kyouya extended his arm and Natasha gladly took it. Tamaki walked up to Haruhi and gave her a gentle smile. Hikari observed the two staring at each other. _Haruhi is defiantly confused about what to do._

A tapping on her shoulder took Hikari’s attention away. When she turned around to see who it was, no one was there.

“Wrong side.” Hikari moved her head the other way and found herself staring into Hikaru’s golden hazel eyes. He had his usual smirk on his face.

“It’s like Tono said,” he began, “Tonight, you're my guest, and I your humble host.”

“Indeed.” Kaoru said appearing next to Yumi taking her arm. “And it looks like Kyouya-senpai and Natasha-san had a head start.” Hikari followed Kaoru's stare and saw Natasha and Kyouya gliding across the dance floor.

“Hana-chan, wanna dance too?” Honey asked, extending his hand while the other held onto his pink bunny. They left their bunnies on two chairs to watch them dance. Kaoru and Yumi were not far behind and started to dance too.

“I’m guessing you want to dance too?” Hikaru asked. Hikari shook her head and tilted her head towards Mina. She was approaching Mori, shaking like a leaf.

“M-M-Mori-senpai?” she asked, “C-could you d-dance with m-me?” Mori looked down at the nervous girl and lifted her head. With a smile, Mina got her answer. He offered her his arm and she eagerly took it. As the two walked onto the dance floor, Hikari noticed Haruhi continuing to act stiff.

“Come on Haruhi,” Tamaki said, “Would you please give me the honor of this dance?” Haruhi still didn’t move. Tamaki shrugged and pulled her away from Hikari. He whispered something that made Haruhi’s eyes widen with surprise. “Will you dance with me now?” Haruhi finally smiled and they began to dance towards the center.

“Now can we dance?” Hikaru nagged. Hikari smiled and faced him, her arms out.

“I’m all yours.” Hikaru was surprised by her answer. In a way, she was too. But he had been there for her when she needed him, and felt he earned some playtime with his toy.

His surprised look quickly changed into his devilish grin. “Be careful how you phrase your words,” he warned, “I’ll do whatever you ask.” He grabbed her waist and whisked her off to the dance floor. Hikari kept her focus on him as they whirled away into their own world.

_Everyone’s really happy,_ she thought, _This is a crazy family._ She giggled.

“What’re you giggling about?” Hikaru asked.

“Nothing.”

“Well I hope so.” An evil smirk grew on his face. “You know that we’re not going to be slow-dancing all night, right?” Hikari returned the sly smile with one of her own.

“I can dance. Period.”

“Really?”

“Just get me motivated enough.”

“Thank you for the tip.” Hikari laughed. “If that's the case, then I'll try to motivate you in more ways than one.” Hikaru whispered.

“We’ll see,” Hikari replied.

As the night continued, Hikari tried the food and drinks. The sodas were her favorite and made her body full of energy. She didn't dare to be away from the dance floor for long. Luckily, Yumi was with her to dance every song, and the two refused to stop. She waved her arms in the air and moved her hips to the beat. If necessary, she would spin around, touch the floor, or do a partner move with Yumi. Hikaru had the guts to dance with the crazy Hikari by taking her hands and following her moves. He couldn't keep up.

Eventually, Hikari was out of breath, but the rush of sodas kept her dancing.The music style changed and got everyone moving. Kaoru cut in with Hikaru, and the twin snatched their ladies up for another round of dancing.After a few songs she and Hikaru grew close. She was able to feel the heat coming off him, his breath blowing against her face. Within her stomach, a new feeling erupted inside. Her body was yearning for Hikaru’s lingering fingers to trace over her, his hot lips on her, his body against hers. _This is…weird…_

“Hikari.” Hikari snapped out of her own world and nodded.

“Yeah?” Hikaru sighed.

“You look like you need a break. How bout I get you a soda?” Hikari blushed from embarrassment, but nodded. As Hikaru left to get her a drink, Hikari became worried about Haruhi. She seemed completely silent throughout the party so far, never looking at Tamaki directly in his eyes or refusing to dance with him here and there. However, Tamaki didn’t seem to mind.

“Hikari!” Tamaki called over. Hikari was surprised to be called upon and walked towards them. “I’ve got to get something ready for everyone,” Tamaki explained, "Can you keep an eye on my guest for me?” With a nod, Tamaki was gone.

“When will this party end?” Haruhi complained. Hikari gave her a small smile.

“Are you at least _trying_ to have fun?” She asked.

“Of course I am,” Haruhi protested, “It’s just that…”

“Just what?”

“Well…remember what I told you in the library?”

“That Tamaki-senpai loves you?” Haruhi’s face turned red.

“W-well…I never answered him back.” Hikari took a piece of salmon nigiri and put it in her mouth.

“So,” Hikari said after swallowing, “What did Senpai say to you to make you dance?”

“He said that I don’t need to give him an answer now. I can wait until I’m ready. He’s in no hurry.” Hikari smiled.

“That’s a good sign, Haruhi.” Haruhi just shrugged.

“What was it like when you and Hikaru said that you loved each other?” Hikari nearly choked as she began to chew on another piece.

“What?” she said with her mouth full.

“Didn’t you and Hikaru say ‘I love you’ to each other already?” Hikari looked overat Hikaru, who was talking with Tamaki before following him somehere. The thought of love never crossed her mind really. She didn’t think that he loved her. She didn’t even know what love felt like. _Unless,_ she thought, _maybe those weird feelings were…_

“Hikari?” Hikari shook her head and sighed.

“We…haven’t exactly said those words,” she admitted. Haruhi was taken back a bit.

“But the way you act around each other. It looks as if you two told each other everything.”

“Well, we haven’t.” Hikari tapped the table, feeling an uncomfortable knot in her stomach.

“Do you think that he doesn’t feel the same way?” Haruhi asked. Hikari moved awkwardly before nodding.

“He just jokes around a lot. I can never know the difference between when he’s serious and when he’s joking.”

“Don’t worry. That’s just Hikaru.” Haruhi and Hikari jumped back as Kaoru and Yumi smiled. “Sorry,” Kaoru said, “I heard my brother’s name, so I thought that I’d come by to figure out why he’s being talked about.”

“Oh Hikari,” Yumi said with a “tsking” sound in her teeth, “You should have said something. I would have totally coached you into saying those three little words.”

“It’s different with Hikaru,” Hikari protested.

“Indeed it is,” Kaoru agreed.

“Then you can understand my dilemma. I don’t even know my own feelings.” She swallowed hard before continuing. “Before my stories were…gone, I had a book full of feelings I felt. There was one that I couldn’t name because it was something that I’d never felt of or bothered to think about before, but now…”

“Don’t worry about it.” Hikari looked at Kaoru, who gave her a friendly smile. “Tell Hikaru how you feel. You might even be surprised.”

“What do you mean?” Haruhi asked.

“There was one thing Hikaru and I wanted in the world: To have someone to recognize us as our own person. ” Kaoru pointed at Haruhi, “You were the first to tell us apart.”

“It wasn’t that hard,” Haruhi said in her defense.

“Doesn’t matter. Tono told us once that if we left our twisted world, then maybe someone could tell us apart, and he was right.” He placed his arm around Yumi. “When Hikaru went after you, I felt that I had lost a part of me. But when Yumi came into the picture, I knew that slowly, we’re being recognized as the individuals we want to be, yet still be our crazy selves.”

“So in other words…” Haruhi began. Kaoru winked at Hikari,

“I’ll bet you that Hikaru feels the same about you as you feel about him.” Hikari felt her heart flutter, but then sighed.

“He always jokes around with me, though.”

“How else can a boy show his feelings for a girl,” Yumi pointed out, “It’s the number one rule in dating boys 101. They pick on the girls they like, be really mean, or joke around with them, because they don’t know how to verbalize how they feel.” She giggled and clung onto Kaoru’s arm.“But some guys are able to verbalize it really well.” Kaoru blushed as he continued.

“Well, the point is, Hikari, you know Hikaru almost as well as me, and I know him pretty well. Do you remember what I said about him?” Hikari thought back on the last conversation she had with Kaoru: On her balcony at the Niwazaki’s. “He’s trying not to scare you away. And remember, he got shot down before he confessed, so he might wait for you this time.”

“What do you mean by that, Kaoru?” Haruhi asked, but he didn’t answer. Instead, he offered Yumi another dance and whisked her away across the dance floor.

“Who did Hikaru like before you?” Haruhi asked again. Hikari shook her head.

“Don’t worry about it Haruhi.”

“What are you going to do?” Hikari smiled.

“I can’t form the exact words, but I can try to get half-way there by expressing what I feel.” Haruhi smiled and nodded in agreement.

“Maybe you should find him.”

“And I should be listening to a girl who’s looking through law books to find the answer about love?” Haruhi pouted.

“Hey, I’ve never been in this situation before.”

“Nor have I,” Hikari paused, “But that’s gonna change.” Hikari smiled as Hikaru walked towards her with a proud smile on his face.

“Hikari, can I show you something?” Hikari gave Haruhi a sly smile and nodded. She didn’t catch Haruhi rolling her eyes at her.

Hikaru took her out of the party room and into a hallway. They went up the stairs and into a room down the hall. Hikaru flicked on the lights, making Hikari cover her eyes for a moment. When she lowered them, she noticed it looked like her room at the Niwazaki’s, very plain and simple.

“Why are we here? Hikari asked.

“Tono is also having a major slumber party, so I wanted to know if you liked this room.”

“Oh,” Hikari played with her silver butterfly necklace. “It’s very pretty.” Hikaru grinned.

“Then you’ll spend the night here.” He was opening the window when Hikari spoke.

“Umm…Hikaru?” he turned around and looked at her, “Well…I just…I guess I want to thank you for taking care of me…back at the hotel…and at the Niwazaki’s…and anytime I needed you.” Hikaru walked towards her with a connfused look on his face. Frustration built in her chest. She was getting nowhere with this and tried again.

“I guess I want you to know that-” Hikaru’s lips stopped her voice. Both his hands held her face, his sweet lips with the taste of soda floating in her mouth. She felt the bubbles reaching her head, making her a little dizzy. Hikaru’s hands moved so that his fingers were through her hair and around her waist. When he removed his lips, he said,

“You’re important to me too. More than you’ll ever know.” And with that, he kissed her again, fogging up her memories.

[Later...in the middle of the night.]

Hikari felt a cool breeze against her cheek. She opened her eyes, blinked a few times, and shot up. She looked around the room, not remembering anything. As she moved, something smooth grazed against her body.

“A silk nightgown?” She whispered to herself, “How did I-” A sudden movement in her bed made her heart jump. She covered her mouth and tried not to scream, but calmed down when the silence returned.

“Is that a person?” she asked aloud. She lifted the blankets and gasped. She saw Hikaru lying asleep next to her. His auburn hair spread out on the white pillow, his pale skin in the moonlight glow, his body giving off a lot of heat…and he was topless. Hikari thought about every swear word she ever heard of, her heart banged loudly against she chest.

_He’s too gorgeous for my eyes to see. Wait a minute,_ her heart slowed down, _Why is Hikaru topless in my bed? Did we…no, we couldn’t have. But…_

Hikari tried to control her hands to move the covers back, but she was afraid of what she might see. Instead, only one question floated through her mind.

_Did Hikaru and I…?_

 


	19. What is Love?

Hikari thought that she would faint. _Did Hikaru and I really…_? Hikaru tossed again in his sleep, turning his back towards her. The blankets fell off his back and revealed Hikaru’s pajama pants, a light blue that matched his host rose. Hikari felt a wave of relief sweep through her body and she smacked her head onto her pillow.

_I’ve got to stop getting worked up over this,_ she thought, turning her body to face the window. The moon continued to shine brightly through her room, preventing her from falling asleep again. Feeling anxious, she got up from her bed and began to walk around. A dark blue robe with light blue stars on it laid itself across a chair. Hikari's eyes then glanced up at the door, and then back at Hikaru. He was still sound asleep. _I won't be gone for long_. She picked up the soft robe and slipped it on her body before walking out of the room.

It was silent in the mansion. Hikari took a few steps, tying the knot of her robe when she noticed a door open down the hall. With cautious steps she approached it, her heart beating with curiosity. She peeked inside and saw Haruhi sitting in an armchair with her chin in her hand that rested on the big armrest.

“Haruhi?” Haruhi jumped.

“Hikari,” She said out of breath, resting the hand she was using on her chest, “You scared me.”

“I can tell.” Hikari replied, entering the room and sitting in an armchair across from her friend. “Can’t sleep?” Haruhi nodded.

“Yeah. I’m also a little upset that Senpai made this sleepover without telling any of us.”

“I think he was trying to be nice,” Hikari replied. “He wants this family to be happy.”

“I know.”

“You seemed a little bothered.” Haruhi looked at Hikari.

“Of course I was. Hikaru wanted to sleep with you and I couldn’t stop him.”

“Thanks for trying. It was actually...alright.”

“As long as one of us is happy.” Hikari stuck out her tongue, causing Haruhi to laugh a little.

“Speaking of happiness, how's yours coming along? Figuring out your feelings for Tamaki-senpai?” Hikari finally asked, wanting to change subjects. Haruhi's cheeks puffed out.

“I guess.” A concern look grew, washing away her pouted lips, “Though I could be a bit better about it.”

“If I may ask, how did he confess his love?”

“Remember when Tamaki was pestering me about going to his house around the same time we found out about Mina and Kyouya-senpai’s engagement?” Hikari nodded. “Well, I go over, we normally go into his bedroom. This time, though, he took me to the music room they had in their house. There was a bright, white piano in the center of the room that I assumed only he played on.

“‘I want you to tell me how this song sounds,’ he said to me before he played. Once I agreed, he began. I admit that it had a beautiful sound. I listened to it intently, like I was trying to find the meaning in it. Once he finished, with a smile he asked me what I thought.

“‘It sounds wonderful, Senpai,’ I said to him. He said that he was glad and rose from the piano.

“‘There was actually another reason why I brought you here.’ I couldn’t guess why. ‘Fujioka Haruhi, from the day I met you, I knew that we were destined to be together. Not just as father and daughter at the time, but for something more grand.’ He took my hands—like you said—and held me close.

“‘When we danced together at the cultural festival last year, I knew that we should progress forward and by Christmas we did. Now that a year has passed, something magical has developed…Haruhi…I love you.’ I was speechless. He then took me home and told Dad that I was stressed and that I’d be fine the next day, which I slightly was. Then I found you and here we are.” Hikari stared at her friend in amazement.

“Wow,” Hikari muttered, “I didn’t think Tamaki-senpai was…into stuff like that. I thought it was just an act in the Host Club.”

“So did I. And as I told you earlier, he said he'll wait for my answer.”

“Do you love him too?” Haruhi shifted in her seat.

“Honestly?” Hikari nodded. “I don’t know.”

“And yet you’d be fine with marrying him,” Hikari added. Haruhi blushed. “You shouldn’t marry a guy you’re not in love with.”

“Well…I’ve got time.” Hikari smiled.

“I know that when the time comes, you’ll know your answer.” Haruhi’s lips curled into a small smile.

“I guess.” The two girls listened to the quiet night for a while when Haruhi faced the door and sat up straight. “Do you hear that?” Hikari listened, but heard nothing.

“No. Should I?” Silence returned for another few moments before Haruhi got up and walked to the door. She poked her head outside.

“Someone else is up.” Hikari followed Haruhi and glanced down the hall. Something was moving in the shadows, creating creaking noises wherever they stepped.

“So they are,” she whispered, “Should we see who it is?” Haruhi shook her head.

“I do not want to get involved again.”

“Come on, Haruhi. You have no idea who they might be.” Hikari’s adventure urges were kicking in. “Besides, it may not be the Host club, but ghosts that lie around here so innocent girls like us find them.”

“You’ve been reading too much,” Haruhi said.

“So?”

“Well, think about it logically. Ghosts don’t exist. It’s probably the host talking about us.” Hikari rolled her eyes.

“Well, then let’s see what they have to say about us.” She grabbed Haruhi’s wrist and led her down the hall. The closer they were, the clearer the voices.

“My fellow children, I called in this meeting to discuss any suggestion about how to protect my daughter from the evil folks that can ruin her happiness.”

“Tono, she’s staying at our house.”

“There’s nothing to worry about while we’re there.”

“THAT’S MY POINT! Brother, why did you agree to this?”

“Because Hikaru insisted on it since his and Kaoru’s parents are away on business.”

“But can’t you see that Hikaru might do something improper to her?!”

“You know Tono…” Hikaru chuckled, “…I might have already done something improper last night.” Hikari’s widened and she stared at Haruhi. Haruhi stared back at her and shook her head.

“He’s lying,” she whispered. Hikari clenched her fists.

“He better be,” she commented, “Or he’ll be dead before he can say his own name.”

“Hika-chan wouldn’t do anything bad to Hiri-chan, right?”

“Ah.”

“You’re taking his side?” Tamaki yelled. The twins began to laugh.

“Relax, Tono,” Hikaru said, “I’m only joking. I would never do anything like that.”

“LIAR!”

“Excuse me,” Kyouya interrupted, “but can we please get to the matter at hand.” Tamaki calmed down. “You told me that you were curious about Hikari’s past, right?”

“Of course I’d be curious about my daughter’s past.”

“Kyouya,” this time Hikaru spoke. Compared to earlier the joking tone was gone. Hiakri was surprised to hear the sincerity in his voice, “Is there anything you can tell us about what happened to her six years ago?”

“Why not ask her yourself,” Mori answered. Everyone looked up at him.

“Takashi, what do you mean?” Honey asked. Hikari heard footsteps approaching the door.

“Crap, they’re gonna find us,” Hikari whispered.

“Let’s go,” Haruhi seconded, but by the time they turned around, Mori-senpai opened the doors, shinning the room light over the two spies.

“Haruhi!” Tamaki shouted with open arms, “you look cute in your long sleeved nightgown.” Haruhi gave him a disturbed look. Hikari saw Hikaru peeking over and giving her a smirk of his own. She felt her cheeks burning and tore her eyes away.

“Hikari.” Hikari peered up at Mori-senpai. “I think it’s time to tell your story.” She then examined the host club. In their eyes, they were begging her to tell her tale. Slowly she walked into the room and sat down on the couch between Hikaru and Kaoru, pulling her knees up to her chest.

“I guess it is time to tell you my story.” And with a deep breath, she began.

****

As you all know, I’m the daughter of an actor/playwright and a reporter. My mom had me when she was really young with my dad. She was…19 I believe. I guess you could say my parents fell in love as soon as they met. My mom was a freshman in high school and my dad was freshman in college. They met at a show my mom was writing about for her school paper and my dad hosted. Anyway, after my mom graduated, they decided to start living together.

Both their families were against the idea at first, but they soon saw that they wanted to be together more than anything, and believed it would help them accomplish their dreams. They decided to support the relationshop. Mom and Dad rented a little apartment in Yumi’s neighborhood and a couple months later, mom was pregnant with me.

She was really nervous in having a baby at such a young age, but my dad told her everything was going to be alright, and it was. Mom and dad still worked, but they made sure to be with me when I woke up and when I went to bed. I could tell they were trying really hard to make me happy as well as each other.

I can't remember officially when I started writing, but mom and dad told me some tales. Apparently one time, I would read one book, and then on a separate sheet of paper I'd write squiggles, mumbling out sounds to try and make words, as if I was writing my own story.

“Hikari-chan,” Mom would say, “Are you writing a novel?” I would nod and smile. I couldn’t speak yet and my dad would laugh.

“Hikari will be a fine writer. If she puts her mind to it, she’ll succeed.”

Natasha came into my life when I was five and has been my big sister ever since. So at that point, everything was perfect! I met Yumi at school and we became best friends and we’d hang out a lot. In elementary school, we did a picture book for our summer project, and our teacher loved it.

But…six years ago, my mom and dad were taking me and Natasha to see one of dad’s shows. I was really excited and couldn’t wait to hear mom's thoughts on it. She was, after all, one of the finest critiques in Japan.

“This is my best production yet,” dad told us, “My dear, I think you might have to shower this show with praise.”

“Darling, don’t be full of yourself,” she replied, “If you keep that up, your show will have a big ego and the critiques won’t appreciate your work.” He laughed.

“Hikari will go easy on her father, won’t she?”

“If I like the show, I promise to give you the best review ever!” I explained with excitement.

“That’s my girl.” The show was called _Behind the Eyes of the Golden Sun_. Even now that title makes my heart flip with joy. He said that he dedicated it to me with one wish.

“Your mother found the sun in my eyes. Natasha’s found the sun in her boyfriend’s eyes. This play is to inspire you to find the golden sun in your man’s eyes. If you do, you will be eternally happy.” It was a fairytale that he made especially for me about following dreams which lead you to happiness.

We got to our seats and the show was about to start. Mom and I were ready to take notes…when it happened.

The doors slammed shut and there was a sudden smell of gasoline. Someone was trying to use the speakers to talk to the audience, but I guess it was cut off. I became really scared and began to tremble as people started screaming and running around the theater. My parents grabbed me and Natasha’s hands and tried to keep together while heading towards the exit, but I got separated. Someone crashed into me, forcing my hands to slip away from my parents.

When I fell to the floor, the gasoline smell shot up into my nose, causing my head to spin. I sat up and covered my nose, yet the liquid was all over my hands, my hair, my entire left side. I tried to stand up, but something caught my dress, pulling me back onto the ground and in the puddle of gasoline. When I turned around to see what caught it, a great, heat source rose and pushed me into the wall. Bright orange and read flares gleamed before my eyes. It hurt to try and stare at them for long.

I started to pull my dress, but my attempt disappeared when I glanced up at the stage. The whole theater being eaten by the hungry flames. The red curtain turned into ashes before my eyes, seats began to explode, and the theater began to fall apart. I covered my head and began to cry helplessly; the smoke burning my lungs with each breath I took. I was scared that I would die in the fire and my family would see my burnt corpse instead of their sweet daughter.

“HIKARI!” I heard. I tried too look through the smoke, but it was too hard to see them.

“Mommy! Daddy! I’m over here!” I shouted. They followed my voice and found me stuck. My mother hugged me ever so tightly, tears running down her face and onto my neck. My father hugged us both and for a moment, was happy again. But the fire wasn’t happy with our joy. It became angrier and grew taller to scare us apart. Dad grabbed the hem of my dress off and with ease ripped the caught end off. Mom picked me up and they began to plan an escape route. However, every exit was blocked by rubble, and no matter how hard he tried dad couldn't make the move.

“We’ve got to save Hikari,” my dad said, “That’s our mission.” He smiled and rubbed my head. “This is part of our adventure.”

“Natasha!” my mom screamed. She was peering through the debris and saw Natasha pushing a small piece aside.

“Hurry,” she said, “I can push more aside, and-” There was a loud crackle sound followed by a rumble. More of the theater began to fall apart, the crackling echoing in my ears. My parents exchanged such sad looks with one another, as if using telepathy to speak. What appeared to have been a decided decision, mom placed me on the floor and took off her necklace: a silver butterfly.

“Take this,” she said, “It will protect you and lead you to your dream.” She clipped around my neck, hugged me tightly and kissed my cheek. My dad did the same and pushed me through a space he'd made.

“Come on,” I called back, but they shook their head. I knew what they were going to do and I tried to go back in, but Natasha held me back. The last thing that I saw was my parents holding each other’s hands and reciting lines from my dad’s play. I don’t remember what they were, but whatever they were, it made them smile. They kissed and held each other tightly.

“MOMMY! DADDY!” I screamed, but it was too late, the fire wrapped around them and the rubble prevented me from seeing them again.

****

“The rest is history. The Niwazaki’s adopted me and here we are today.” Everyone fell silent. Honey sniffled loudly, big water drops falling from his eyes. “I hope that this helps you in some way, Tamaki-senpai.” Tamaki was too shocked to even react. Hikari looked around the room and saw everyone was crying, or at least had tears in their eyes.

“So you didn’t cry for six years after that?” Kaoru asked, reminding her about the incident at Kyouya’s villa.

“That’s right,” Hikari replied, “I thought that since my parents gave their lives up for me, I should do them a favor and not cry at small things that didn’t matter much.”

“I didn’t know that you remembered that much,” Natasha said. She and the rest of the girls trickled in as Hikari told her story.

“I don’t remember the lines, though,” Hikari said, “I wish I did.” Yumi came onto the couch and wrapped her arms around Hikari's neck.

“I can’t believe that that happened to you. I’m so sorry!”

“It’s okay, Yumi.” She returned the hug. “Please guys, don’t cry on my behalf.”

“It must've been hard,” Hikaru voiced, “To see your parents die before your eyes.”

“Yeah,” Haruhi said, “One minute they’re hugging you, and then the next, they’re gone forever.”

“Why didn’t your family members on either parent’s side take you in?” Hikaru asked.

“They didn’t have enough money and or space for an extra person, so they put me up for adoption.” Hikari answered, returning her embrace to her legs. Silence swept through the room as everyone thought on Hikari’s words. Eventually, Tamaki broke the silence.

“I’m glad you shared your story. Now we can help you even more towards your the future. But for now, we should get some beauty sleep. We've already stayed up quite late and need out beauty sleep for tomorrow.” The club agreed. Everyone paired off for a brief late-night kiss hello before people began to return to their rooms. As Hikari headed to her room, she noticed Hikaru trailing behind her.

“You don’t have to follow me,” she said, “I'm capable of getting there myself.”

“I know I don’t,” he replied, “But I thought you'd might want me to sleep by you after that story.” Hikari didn't reposen. Instead, she remembered waking up in a silky night gown with no memory about how she got it on.

“Hikaru?” she began to ask as she closed her bedroom door, “Did we really…sleep together? Not literally, but did we....” It took Hikaru a while to realize what she was incinuating.

“Ah. I get it.” When they got inside the room, he locked the door and came to her. Gently, he pressed her against the bedpost and carefully untied her robe. “Do you remember anything that happened last night?” He slid the robe off Hikari as she shook her head. It was the only movement she could do.

“I see,” he purred. Hikari saw Hikaru’s golden eyes burn longingly for her. He brought his lips onto her neck and kissed it, pressing his bare, hot body against hers. “I’m not going to lie to you. I was really tempted to do so.” His cold, pale fingers traced up and down the side of her body, causing her skin to shiver. “And I was going to do it, since you were willing to at the time.” Hikari heard her blood move fast throughout her body, her heart beating in her ears. “But I didn’t, because I knew we'd regret it in the morning.” He let Hikari go and stretched his arms in the air.

“My maids came in and dressed you in that nightgown, by the way. I thought it would be a nice trick.” Hikari didn't move. She was overwhelmed with longing emotions that she wasn't sure how to react. After another second, she wrapped her arms around his waist and sighed.

“I know that I will kill you later,” she muttered, “But could you sleep next me?” She felt his stomach move with his chuckle.

“I thought you'd never ask.” Hikaru faced her and kiss her lips once more. He then took her hand in his and guided her to their bed. The two climbed in and snuggled close together, warming up the chilled sheets with their heat. He wrapped his arms around her, and the minute she placed her head on him, she fell into a deep sleep.

****

“You’re lucky Hikaru didn’t push you off the bed,” Kaoru commented the following day, “He always kicks me off.”

“I’m sorry Kaoru,” Hikari replied. “That would defiantly put me in a bad mood.” The two sat down next to Hikaru and Haruhi, who was saving a table for them in the crowded lunchroom.

“Tono’s late,” Hikaru said.

“Indeed he is,” Kaoru added, “I wonder what’s taking him so long?”

“Your guess is as good as mine.” Everyone turned and saw Kyouya sitting down at the end of the table.

“Why are you all here again?” Haruhi asked.

Hikaru leaned towards her. “Is there any reason…”

“…why we can’t be here?” Kaoru finished.

“It’s just rare that you guys have lunch with us, that’s all,” Haruhi mentioned.

“Well after hearing Hikari’s story, I wanted to be near her more,” Hikaru stated.

“It’s true. She’s _our_ little toy, until my special one arrives after school.”

“Since when am I an inanimate object?” Hikari asked, but before the twins could answer she raised her hand. “Forget it.” After a few bites of her food, Hikari realized someone was missing.

“Where’s Mina?”

“She’s watching Mori-senpai practice,” Kyouya answered.

“But isn’t Tokyo U far away?” Haruhi asked.

“Not really. She’s been doing it for some time now.”

_Wow,_ Hikari thought, _I_ _didn't realize how much she likes him_.

****  
{The Host Club is Now Open}

“Umm…Hiroki-kun, I was wondering if you had that story for me?” A guest asked.

“I’m so sorry, my lady, but there was an accident at my house. I had wished to have it in your ivory hands today, but I do not. I’m terribly sorry.” Hiroki could tell that his lyrical charm was winning his table over.

“Can you recite something for us?” another girl asked. Hiroki nodded and stared at the ladies before him.

“ _I never thought that I’d lose_ _it_ _so quickly. I could still feel the heat rising from the remains of my home…our home. My hands felt hot burns as I was removing the rubble to find what I was looking for…I didn’t find it. The wind blew whispers in my ear. The sound of her voice, like a perfect melody_ _that_ _kept my hopes alive, burning hotter than the fire that was before me. I knew I could continue on._ ” The girls had their handkerchiefs out, dabbing their eyes from Hiroki’s story.

“That was well said,” Kyouya uttered as Hiroki was getting the girls some tea.

“Thank you,” Hiroki replied. As he head to the kitchen, he couldn’t help watching Mina with Mori-senpai. She was handing him some baked goods that he seemed to be enjoying, though he's not entirely sure. Mori’s expression never changed throughout Hiroki's time in knowing him. He walked a little closer to the couple and hid behind a pillar to listen on their conversation.

“So how does this one taste?” Mina asked. Mori took another bit, paused, and then nodded. Mina’s eyes grew wide with delight. “I’m so glad.”

“Why are you spying on Mina-chan and Mori-senpai?” Haruhi asked. Hiroki almost jumped out of character, but quickly reverted back into her host mindset.

“I just wanted to see how Mina and Mori-senpai were doing. That’s all.” Haruhi looked over Hiroki’s shoulder and shrugged.

“If you keep that up, you’ll turn into someone like Tamaki-senpai someday.” Tamaki over heard and ran over to Haruhi.

“How could you think of me in such a way, Haruhi?” He begged, tears rolling down his cheeks, his hands caressing her face.

“Can you stop sexually harassing me, Senpai?” Tamaki took more offense now. Hiroki wandered away from the two. _How can those two be dating? It looks more like they’re getting on one another’s nerve._

“Hikaru?” Hiroki felt a spark go down his spine. He hadn’t noticed he wandered towards Hikaru and Kaoru’s table. “I heard rumors going around saying that you’re dating someone. Is that true?” Hiroki felt her blood freeze. Hikaru, surprised by the question too, he acted accordingly.

“Well, I wouldn’t say we’re together, but we definitely fancy one another.” The girls gasped. “But…” he caught Hiroki’s eyes. “I wonder if she knows how much I really care for her.”

“Oh my god!”

“Is it Niwazaki-san?”

“We heard it all over school.”

“Hikaru,” Kaoru interrupted, “I can’t believe that you would give up your own brother for a…stranger.” A tear rolled down his face. Hikaru’s smirk disappeared as he watched Kaoru cry. He jumped out of his chair and embraced his brother.

“No one can ever replace you in my heart Kaoru. You never have to feel insecure again.”

“…Hikaru…” The girls squealed with delight as Hiroki walked away, desperately returning to his table.

{The Host Club is Now Closed}

“So are you nervous about spending the night at Hikaru and Kaoru’s place?” Haruhi asked. Hikari shrugged.

“I’m really not sure what to expect. But I am worried about Tamaki-senpai a little more.” She gestured towards the Host King who was lecturing the twins about proper care when tending to his daughter.

“And so you see,” he concluded. “Hikari will keep in touch with her daddy and will report any improper things you two intend to do to her.”

“TONO!” the twins shouted together in rebellion. “THAT TAKES THE FUN OUT OF EVERYTHING!”

“I know that,” Tamaki assured, “That’s why I invited another special guest to stay over at your house.”

“Senpai,” Haruhi said, “What will sending another person do?”

“Why give Hikari some female comfort, that's all,” he said, extending his hand above in the air, “And since Yumi-chan has offered to stay at the Hitachiin estate, she can assist to keep the devilish twins under control.”

“She can only tame one devil, thought, Tono,” Kaoru pointed out, “And if I’m not watching Hikaru, then you’re daughter will really be in danger.” Tamaki froze. He hadn't calculated that. “Well, we can’t change plans on Yumi, right Hikaru?”

“Of course, Kaoru. I’m sure that with Yumi over, I’ll have a lot of free time on my hands.” He said his last statement with an evil grin.

Feeling very flustered, Hikari shouted, “You can figure this out amongst yourselves. I’m going to meet you guys downstairs!” She swiftly ran through the club doors and made her way downstairs. The way Tamaki and Hikaru were talking made her think about the previous night, and she was still sorting out her own feelings about it. It seemed to her Hikaru was full of surprised. By the time she reached the Ouran gates, her lungs were begging for more air.

“This is going to be a long while,” she panted, leaning against the Ouran walls. Faint footsteps caught her attention, causing her to breathe quietly in order to not draw attention .

“Hikari-san?” said a male voice. Hikari looked over at speaker. He was dressed in an Ouran uniform, but he didn’t look familiar. “I didn’t think you’d be here.”

“Excuse me,” Hikari said professionally, “But do I know you?” The boy laughed.

“Oh, I guess not. I was told that you liked being called ‘Hikari-san’ rather than by your last name. It’s a shame really. You’re last name is charming.” Hikari rolled her eyes.

“It isn’t, really.”

“I think it is,” he reassured, “Niwazaki Hikari. It’s such a beautiful name for a beautiful lady.” Hikari felt a knot tie in her stomach. She didn’t like the way this boy talked about her name…her adoptive name more so. And worse of all, he’s complementing her when she’s clearly not interested.

“Look, could-”

“Could you please keep away from her?” Hikari felt two bodies rise behind her. Both of them had one arm wrapped around her. “If you continue to do this, then you will have to face the Hitachiin brothers.” The boy just smiled.

“Please, Hikaru-kun, Kaoru-kun, I was only making conversation.” The student returned his focus on Hikari. “I didn’t know that you were actually taken, Hikari-san. If you were, you shouldn’t have been giving me hopes.”

“Hopes for what?” Hikari snapped. Something about him didn't settle with her. She thought back over stories about characters that gave her such a feeling.

“I think you know. But have no fear. I’ll keep your relationship a secret.” He bowed and then made his exit, turning onto the school campus.

“What was that all about?” Hikaru asked. Hikari shook her head.

“I honestly have no idea.”

“You know, Hikari, when you're alone, it might be best to be extra aware,” Kaoru commented, “You should stay with the club. You’re safer around us.” Hikari didn’t like the idea of following the club forever, but she knew he was right and nodded.

“Takashi-kun!” The three were taken back by the sudden scream. Hikari looked inside Ouran and saw Mori-senpai walking towards a female Ouran student. “I didn’t think you’d show.” Mori shrugged. “Shall we go then?” She grabbed his hand and dragged him away from the main gate.

“What was that about?” Hikaru asked.

“Wasn’t Mori-senpai taking interest in Mina-chan?” Kaoru questioned.

“Where’s Honey-senpai?” Hikari pointed out, “Aren’t those two always together?”

“They are,” Kaoru said, “But maybe Hana-chan kept him longer today.” A long black limo pulled up and Hikaru wrapped his arm around Hikari’s shoulder.

“Let's get in.”

****

The next day, Hikari showed up to school feeling exhausted. However, her appearance didn’t show it. People were shocked that Hikari was coming to school with the twins, bringing up questions about her dating Hikaru. As the whispers continued, Hikari placed her head on her desk, trying to find any sound that wasn’t gossip.

“You look like you had a rough night, Hikari-san. Was everything alright at Hikaru’s?” Hikari smiled at the voice for a second before relaying her answer.

“I guess, Mina. Kaoru and Yumi were up _all_ night, so Hikaru and I had to move to the other side of their house. I didn’t know that they had a bedroom on each side.”

“That’s what I heard,” Mina said.

“Anyway,” Hikari continued, “Hikaru was good otherwise. Actually, he’s respecting me more now that I’m under his roof.”

“How about that? He's a proper gentleman once he gets his way.”

“I guess so.”

“Hey…I’ve got a question.” Hikari raised her head as Mina played with her hands. Her cheeks slightly turned pink as a shy smile grew on her face.

“Does…Mori-senpai…have someone that he likes…in particular, I mean.” Hikari went silent.

“Did Mori-senpai say anything to you that would imply that?” Mina shook her head.

“Not really. Honey-senpai and Hana-chan came up to me and said that Mori-senpai had never been this communicative and committed to a person ever. It makes me really happy to hear that.” Hikari smiled.

“Then it sounds to me that everything's going good,” she reassured, “Mori-senpai may not say much, but he means well.” Mina’s smile grew wider.

After school, Hikari opened the doors to the third music room and was surprised to see poor Haruhi in a cute little Santa girl dress.

“There you have it, Tono,” the twins said together, “Haruhi and Hikari will where this for the Christmas celebration.” Tamaki was red all over.

“Why are you two dressing me up?” Haruhi whinned, “It's pointless since I have to be male for this.” The brothers made a tsking noise through their teeth.

“Christmas is over a month away, so we’ve got to prepare.”

“Christmas is going to be super fun!” Honey screamed, throwing his bunny in the air.

“Good grief,” Haruhi mumbled with a pout.

“Haruhi, you look super cute,” Hikari commented. The twins gave each other an evil smirk.

“We’ve got a costume for you too. Wanna try it on now?” Hikari shook her head.

“Maybe later.”

“Do you enjoy Christmas, Hikari?” Haruhi asked. Hikari couldn’t help but smile.

“It’s my favorite holiday next to my birthday,” she answered.

“Then we’re going to have fun preparing for this occasion,” Tamaki announced. “But first…” Tamaki brought out a digital camera, “…I want to take pictures of my wife.” There was a gasp.

“Tono, you perv!”

“Red Card!”

“Stay away from Haruhi!” They both shouted. As the three began their everyday fights, Hikari noticed the girl from yesterday walking towards the door with Mori-senpai.

“I wish you didn’t have your club now, Takashi-kun. I wanted to tell you so much more.”

“You can tell me more later,” he said. The girl giggled.

“Try not to miss me too much.” She let go of his hand, blew a kiss, and trotted down the hall..

****

Kyouya’s eyes remained locked on Hikari. He took out his notebook and saw a red circle around December 24.

“The time is approaching,” he muttered to himself. “Hikari doesn’t have much time left here.” Kyouya’s cell began to vibrate, signaling that he received a text message. He whipped it out and flipped it open.

“ _I_ _to_ _-san just informed me that the Niwazaki’s are planning another attack. She’s not sure what it is, but it’s going to be_ _huge_ _. Please look out for her. Love, Natasha._ ”

“Another attack, huh?” Kyouya flipped though his notebook. “They slapped her at their house, trashed the suite she was staying in. They wouldn’t dare hurt her at a high place such as the Hitachiin estate. However…” Kyouya looked up.

“They could hurt her here at school.”

 


	20. A Couple Found and Broken

“HIROKI-KUN! HIROKI-KUN!” Hiroki looked up from his notebook and smiled at his guests.

“What is it, Ladies?”

“You get to pick the Host Club’s next cosplay!” Hiroki blinked a few times, not sure what they meant.

“Cosplay?”

“Yes,” Kyouya said popping out of nowhere, “There was a poll taken yesterday while you were busy spying on a certain couple.” Hiroki felt Kyouya’s cold stare cling to his spine like frost.

“What’s the catch?” he asked.

“What catch?” Kyouya asked with a pleased look on his face.

“I mean that is there anything in particular you wish for me to pick?” Kyouya continued to write.

“There’re no strings, Hiroki-kun. You can do whatever you want, so long as it pleases the guests.” The girls squealed with delight.

“I know if it’s Hiroki, he’d do something romantic,” they chanted. Hiroki gave them a charmed smile and took his leave. Never had he thought he'd be chosen to pick a host theme. As he walked Haruhi came into vision. Picking up his speed, he approached him.

“Hey, I was wondering if I can take that sleepover tonight.”

“Sure,” Haruhi answered, “My dad’s been wondering when you’d be returning.”

{The Host Club is Now Closed}

“No.”

“Aw, come on.”

“No.”

“Why not?”

“Because something could happen to you again.”

“How do you know?”

“Do you not remember when that creepy guy was hitting on you?”

“He wasn’t hitting on me, Hikaru, he was being just creepy.”

“Exactly.” Hikari clenched her teeth together. Hikaru was acting more like an overprotective father rather than her boyfriend, and she didn't like it.

“Please, Hikaru?”

“No.”

“Agh!” Hikari stomped her foot on the floor and crossed her arms.

“Hikaru, why don’t you let her go?” Kaoru asked.

“Because it isn’t safe. Haruhi is a girl too and if someone came to hurt Hikari, Haruhi wouldn’t last.” Tamaki’s color disappeared.

“You’re right!” he screamed, “Hikari, you are forbidden to go to Haruhi’s house until this matter is resolved.” Hikari’s jaw dropped.

“Are you serious?” Tamaki nodded. “I’m not you’re kid.”

“You’re mine and Haruhi’s daughter.”

“NO I’M NOT! Natasha is the only person who can tell me otherwise.” A hand tapped her shoulder. With force Hikari turned to face Kyouya, who handed her his cell phone.

“It’s Natasha.” Hikari pouted. _He put her up to this_ , she thought.

“Hello?”

“ _Kyouya says that you’re fighting with the club?_ ”

“Yes. I want to sleepover at Haruhi’s, but Tamaki-senpai and Hikaru aren’t letting me.”

“ _Hmm…_ ” There was a pause. “ _I am worried about your safety…however, I don’t want to lock you in a cage and prevent you from having fun…_ ” There was another pause. “ _Okay, you can go._ ” Hikari’s pout melted into a smile.

“Really?”

“On one condition,” Hikari’s smile disappeared, “The Host club must escort you. With all that's been going on I would feel at ease if you and Haruhi were in a group. And I don't think Haruhi's father would object either.” Hikari watched Tamaki and the twins lean towards her as if trying to listen to their conversation. Reluctantly, she nodded.

“Fine.” Tamaki and the twins cheered with glee and began to pack for their departure. Haruhi and Hikari weren't as pleased. On their drive, Tamaki was bugging Haruhi about how to treat his new father, which usually ended with Haruhi shouting “No”. When the got to the door, Haruhi barely had slipped her key in when it swung open and there in his work clothes stood Ranka-san.

“My my my, what have we here?” He asked with a grin spread across her face.

“They’re _only_ here to drop of us and will come again _only_ to pick us up tomorrow,” Haruhi stated, emphasizing the word “only”, “They will not be-”

“Oh why don’t you boys join us for dinner?” He asked. Tamaki and the twins agreed on the club's behalf. As they entered, Yumi introduced herself. Ranka warmly welcomed her and accepted her into his home.He as particularly impressed when she mentioned she was dating Kaoru and was not embarrassed when gossiping about Hikari and Haruhi love life. Those two, however, left the group and headed towards Haruhi’s bedroom to change.

“I can’t believe dad invited them in.”

“I can’t believe Hikaru's freaking out over nothing,” Hikari commented.

“What was he talking about anyway?” Haruhi asked. Hikari explained about the Ouran student and how hepraised Hikari’ for her adoptive family name. “Sounds weird,” she concluded.

“I agree, but Hikaru doesn’t have to restrain me so much, you know?” Haruhi nodded.

“How goes Self-defense with Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai?” she asked, “Maybe he's just worried you're not ready yet.”

“I guess.” Hikari paused. _I'm still a beginner, after all_.

“Hey, Haruhi?” She began, wanting to change topics, “Does Mori-senpai have a girlfriend?” Haruhi didn't answer. She stared at Hikari and shook her head.

“You’ve been with the twins for too long.” Hikari smiled.

“Seriously, though. Mina-chan asked me if Mori-senpai had someone special and…I wasn’t quite sure how to answer.”

“Why?”

Hikari glanced at the door before whispering, “I saw Mori-senpai with a girl from school.”

“So?”

“She called him by his first name.” Haruhi gasped.

“Okay, that’s strange. Only Honey-senapi is allowed to call him by first name.”

“I know.” Hikari was about to put on her T-shirt when Haruhi’s bedroom door burst opened.

“Hikari, is there anything you want to-” Hikari turned her head towards the door seeing Hikaru’s surprised look. She sense the heat of his golden eyes examining her bare back, causing the blood to boil and rush through her body. Hikaru’s expression, however, turned a little…devilish.

Haruhi intervened and slammed her door shut, allowing it to hit Hikaru on his way out.

“Don’t you ever knock?” Haruhi scolded. Hikaru let out a wicked laugh.

“Sorry, I’ll remember that next time.” Hikari rolled her eyes, hoping trying to cool herself down.

“And when he remembers, my parents will rise from the dead.” She shook her head and fanned herself.

“Are you alright, Hikari? You're looking quite red.”

“I’m fine Haruhi, really. Let’s just get this dinner over with.”

It felt crowded in the living room with everyone over. Hikari had to sit in between Hikaru's legs in order to join the circle. Yumi refused to let her sit without being teased every now and then. She, on the other hand, made it clear that she loved being so close to Kaoru, and that her sweet childhood friend could learn a thing or two from her.

Hikari was released from her clutches when Ranka arrived with a nabe pot dinner full of mushrooms, leeks, and pork. As Hikari began to help herself, Ranka and Tamaki began their argument over Haruhi. Kyouya contributed every now and then, but that only to assist Ranka. Hikari believed he was doing it just to make Tamaki angry. Haruhi tried to defend herself, but in the end she gave up. Instead she quietly sat next to Hikari.

The fight eventually ended when Ranka declared Tamaki to be the least suitable man for his daughter. He sealed it by gulping down his tea, and exhaling in relief.

“So,” he calmly said, “what’s on the agenda for Christmas?” Ranka asked.

“Normally, we would throw a Christmas ball for our guests,” Kyouya answered, “This year, however, the school will be occupied for other purposes.”

“That’s too bad,” Ranka replied, a little disappointed.

“Luckily,” Tamaki continued, “We’re trying to find a new location for our dance, so there is still hope.” He got on one knee and lifted Haruhi’s hand. “I would also be honored if you were to dance with me, Haruhi.” Hikari noticed that Ranka’s eyes set on fire.

“DON’T ASK MY DAUGHTER TO DANCE IN FRONT OF HER FATHER!” He yelled. Tamaki shrieked with fear, placing the back of his hand on his forehead.

“But father-”

“DON’T CALL ME ‘FATHER’!” Ranka slapped him. He spun around many times before gracefully falling to the floor.

“Anyway,” Ranka continued, returning to her calm state, “What will you be doing, Hikari-chan?” Hikari was surprised to hear her name.

“I’m not really sure,” she answered. “My Christmases has always been…different than I hope them to be.”

“Well I hope you’ll be attending the dance.” Hikari gave a weak smile and continued to eat. “I know that, like my daughter, you’ll be occupied the whole night as well?” Hikari placed down her bowl. Her gut told her that she wasn’t going to like what came out of Ranka’s mouth. “Since you and Hikaru are dating, I’m sure that you won’t dance with any other.”

“Don’t worry, Ranka-san,” Hikaru said, sliding his arm around her waist. “I’ll make sure no other man touches her.” Ranka clapped with joy, praising the young couple.

When the meal was done, Haruhi insisted everyone to leave. The boys and Yumi grumbled as one by one the emptied out of the apartment. Before leaving, Hikaru kissed Hikari on the cheek. “Have fun,” he whispered. He walked with the members outside and didn't look back to say good night.

Homework was the priority until the late hours of the night. Hikari's mind was already wandering when Haruhi suggested to call it a night. The two were getting their beds ready when the topic of the next cosplay theme came up.

“Why don't we just say our cosplay is imitating the Host Club?” Haruhi suggested, “That way, there won’t be any weird costume or weird things around the club.” Hikari shook her head.

“That wouldn’t work well with Kyouya-senpai and Tamaki-senpai.” Haruhi sat on her bed and began to think again. Hikari took out her notebook and began to jot down ideas. _Let’s see…we’ve got our types of hosts: Prince, Loli-shota, Wild, Devilish, Cool, Natural, and Lyrical._ Hikari stared at her notes. _How can we make this work? Haruhi wants to be comfortable, but everyone else wants something flashy…Wait!_ Like lighting striking the page, Hikari jotted her thoughts. Arrows pointed here and there, and sometimes she'd scribble out something to write another. Soon, so circled her conclusion and placed the pencil behind her ear.

“Haruhi,” she announced, “I’ve found it.”

“What is it?” Haruhi asked with a little curiosity.

“I’m going to take your idea of the host club imitating the host club and make it ten times bigger.” Haruhi gave Hikari a puzzling look. “We are gonna intensify our host types to the max! In color, in speech, in attitude, in how we treat one another and our guests; it's perfect!” Haruhi thought about it and still shook her head.

“Ok, take you for example. We'll find a nice, red suit that's simple and classic; something that naturally fits you.” Haruhi nodded. “That’s just the costume. When you’re with your guests, you’ll act like..well, I guess since you're a natural, you'd act like yourself.” Haruhi hummed in thought.

“I guess I could try to be a little more welcoming.”

“No, you shouldn't. Otherwise, you're not being natural.” Haruhi nodded.

“Sounds simple enough. Senpai and the twins will enjoy acting like kings and devils,” Hikari placed a proud grin on her face.

“I’m simply a genies, aren’t I?”

****

The next day, The Host Club promptly arrived to pick up the girls. Ranka was still sleeping, which allowed them quick passage to the chilly outside world. As Haruhi locked the door, Tamaki and the others offered breakfast. To Hikari's surrpise, it wasn't anything fancy. Just some coffee, muffins, and rice balls. Oddly enough she was real pleased with that.

When they got to school, Hikaru offered to escort Hikari to her classroom. She declined, insisting that Mina would be waiting for her there.

“She'll be fine,” Haruhi assured, trying to drag Hikaru to class.

“Just keep your eyes open,” he said. Hikari nodded and watched him walk with the others.

The hallways were full of students, and honestly Hikari wasn't worried. Her confidence radiated within her. She could definitely look out for herself. As she drew closer, a familiar student stood in the doorway. Once he saw Hikari, he straightened himself and smiled.

“Good morning, Hikari-san,” he said, “I hope your trip here was well.” Hikari took a deep breath, calming her buzzing nerves down.

“Excuse me,” she said in a stern, polite voice, “but I must get into my classroom.” The boy laughed.

“I know, but I just wanted to chat quickly.” Hikari shot a glare at him, hoping to melt the chocolate out of his eyes.

“There’s nothing to chat about with a stranger,” she replied, shoving past him.

“Why are you calling me a stranger? I’m not such thing.”

“Why would I talk to someone I don't know? And if I don’t know them, I call them a stranger.”

“But then that’s unfair.” The boy’s smile twisted. “You and Hikaru-kun were strangers and look where you are now.” Hikari drew a loud quick breath. The boy raised his brows as if amused by her reaction.

“You seem to not like it when I bring him up,” he commented. Hikari couldn’t answer. She felt her throat run dry and her voice evaporating by her rising body temperature. “How strange. Usually girls like to talk about their boyfriends.”

“Would you shut up?” Hikari hissed. Her patience was running thin. The boy stepped back, hands in the air.

“Alright, Hikari-san, if that’s what you want.” He turned on his heels and headed down the hall.

“By the way,” he called back, “I’m Suzuki Satoshi. Talk to you later, Niwazaki Hikari.” Hikari dug her teeth into her lower lip, resisting the urger to scream.

_If this guy thinks that he’s going to get to me, he’s wrong!_

“Hikari-san?” asked a gentle female voice. Hikari looked over and saw Mina with a concerned look on her face. “You don’t look so well. Are you alright?” Hikari rubbed her head and nodded.

“Just bumped into a jerk, that’s all.” Mina smiled and the two went off to class.

****

“So…That’s your idea?” Tamaki asked, his fingers wrapped around his chin. Hikari nodded and looked at her fellow members. They all had some sort of puzzeling look on their faces, even Kyouya did as well. Hikari sighed.

“Okay, let’s use an example. Tamaki-senpai, what is your host type?”

“The handsome, brave, and lovely prince,” Tamaki answered with a flourish.

“What’s your rose color?”

“The color of frozen rain that falls.”

“What’s with the metaphors, Senpai?” Haruhi asked, sulking on the couch. Tamaki twirled and posed.

“Haruhi, I must be up to date on my prince status. If I’m a prince from the last century and the ladies don’t wish to see it, then why should I bother?”

“That makes no sense.”

“Anyway!” Hikari interrupted, “Tamaki-senpai, you would wear a pure white prince outfit. If you think you need a crown, take it.” Tamaki’s eyes began to sparkle. “When your guests comes, you’re not going to be Tamaki-senpai acting with his prince charm, but you’re going to act exactly like a prince that the ladies wish to see. Prince Tamaki of Ouran Academy.” Tamaki ran his fingers through is blonde hair.

“My daughter…” he reached out and grabbed herand held her tightly, “…YOU’RE A GENIUS!!!!!!!” Hikari tried to escape Tamaki's suffocating arms by pulling on them with all her might. A separate pair of arms wrapped around her waist a pulled her free.

“Tono, I won’t allow you to treat my lady like that,” Hikaru said, grinning his triumphant grin. Tamaki placed his fingers on his cheek.

“ _Your_ lady?” He flicked his hair. “No one will be taking my daughter unless they pass the test and show themselves worthy to be her number one.” Hikari smacked her forehead and looked over at Haruhi. She too shook her head with displeasure.

“Tamaki, can you be serious for a minute, please,” Kyouya interrupted, “Your suggestion, Hikari, is very original. Original enough that it can give the Host Club a new meaning. Well, assuming we're bringing in new customers.” Hikari didn't bother to respond. She hated how much Kyouya focused on profit.Hereleased a comforting chuckle. “I guess this is what’s expected from a lyrical host.”

Hikari tried to smile, but had trouble when her encounter with Satoshi flashed across her mind. _I won’t let it get to me_ , she kept on repeating in her head. Her body locked close together as she tried to forget their morning conversation.

“Hikari?” Hikaru asked, loosening her body with his velvet voice, “Are you alright.” Hikari nodded, placing the loose strands of hair behind her ear.

“It’s nothing to worry about.” Hikaru smiled.

“Were you thinking about what I might do to you tonight?” Hikari’s face turned red as she stuttered her no. Hikaru laughed. “I’m only kidding.” He placed on hand into his pocket and the other through her hair. “Only half kidding.” He drew back his hand and followed Kaoru.

Tamaki was so impressed with Hikari’s idea, he decided to start preparations immediately. He wanted Hikari and Haruhi to wait for Mina, Yumi, and Hana-chan, as they were needed as practice guests for the hosts. Hikari didn't mind one bit. Neither did Haruhi.

“Sometimes I question why I’m still in this club,” she commented as they walked through the school, “I mean, I paid off my debt, I can focus on other things, but no. I had to stay with this club.”

“But aren’t you glad you did?” Hikari questioned, “You met me, you met great new people, and you’re Tamaki’s fiancée.” Haruhi zipped her hand across Hikari’s mouth glaring her big brown eyes at her.

“I told you not to mention that word at school.” Hikari nodded and lowered Haruhi’s hand.

“Sorry, I’ll be more careful next time.”

The two continued down the hall in their own conversation when a new voice was heard down in front of them. It belonged to a girl. Her voice didn't miss a beat for she couldn’t stop talking about something. _What would make a person talk non-stop like that?_

“…anything? Takashi, you really need to act now before it’s all over. You’re so lucky to have me as your girl. Sometimes I wonder what you’d do without me.” Hikari froze and hid behind a column. Haruhi followed her and asked, “So this is what you were referring to.” Hikari nodded.

“I’ll meet you afterward your club, okay?” the girl asked. Mori-senpai smiled and without a gesture headed towards the club room. Hikari felt her heart beating in fear that Mori would sense them. During their practice, he'd sense her movement before she even decided to moveHowever for some reason, he just walked right by them. _I guess he didn't notice_. Hikari and Haruhi were silent the rest of the walk towards the entrance.

“You know,” Haruhi said breaking the silence, “That girl looks familiar.” Before Hikari could respond, she heard a voice from afar.

“Haruhi-san, Hikari-san,” Hikari looked up and saw Mina waving at the entrance.

“You gonna be okay?” Haruhi asked quickly. Hikari nodded and placed a smile on her face.

“Hey, Mina. Is everyone else here?”

“Not yet, but Yumi called saying that Natasha was going to pick her and Hana-cahn up. I’m just waiting until they arrive.”

“Good,” Hikari replied. Mina smiled in return, but it soon disappeared.

“Mina, are you alright?” Haruhi asked. Mina didn’t respond. She reached into her school bag and pulled out a cook book that Hikari had seen in her desk. Her fingers traced over the words lazily.

“I tried, but I lost,” Mina finally said.

“Tried for what?” Hikari asked.

“Tried to win Mori-senpai's favor.” Hikari glanced over at Haruhi and then back to Mina. “I was on my way out here and I saw him with…that other girl.” Mina’s blonde hair fell in front of her face. “I thought the ground was taken out from under me. Then again, I can’t be surprised…” Hikari saw little water droplets fall onto the cook book.

Hikari wondered what it would be like if Hikaru wasn't around. Her heart began to swell with pain, urging her to wrap her arms around Mina. Her embrace tightened. _Hopefully that will never come to be_.

“You don’t know that for sure,” she said, “Maybe you should tell Mori-senpai how you feel about him.” Hikari felt Mina shake her head.

“I think you should, Mina-chan!” Hikari released Mina and saw Hana-chan looking up to her with her big blue eyes. “You never know unless you ask. And it’s like what me and Honey-kun says, Mori-kun has been with you more than any other person we know!”

“Exactly,” Natasha said, following Hana, “This all might be a misunderstanding.” Hikari saw an arm wrap over Mina’s shoulder.

“Don’t worry, Mina-chan, the host club girls will help you get your guy.”

“Yumi-chan,” Haruhi interrupted, “What's this, ‘host club girls’ thing?” Yumi gave a smirk.

“We’re going to help this young couple!” She stood in front of her audience and flicked her black hair. “We’re here to bring joy to these six boys and to let them unwind from their hard work in school and at the club. And since we each are dating a host, it is now our responsibility to help those who are in need. AND MINA IS GOING TO GET WITH HER MORI-SENPAI WHETHER SHE LIKES IT OR NOT!”

“I feel sorry for Mina right about now,” Haruhi whispered to Hikari, “She’s sounding a lot like Tamaki-senpai.” Hikari gave a weak smile in response.

“Let’s just hope that things turn out as positive as Yumi hopes it to be.” With Yumi in the lead, the girls headed towards the Host Club room. As they approached the door, Mina’s legs prevented her from walking farther. Yumi tugged and Hana-chan pushed as best as they could towards the door and opened it for her. The aroma of roses filled her nose and her eyes saw a varietyof colored rose petals blow against her face.

“Welcome,” the host club said. Hikari blinked blankly as Tamaki approached them. He was still in his uniform, but wore a white flower on his jacket.

“Welcome, dear ladies,” he said with a bow, “I hope you don’t mind that we practice our behaviors around you, for we would like them to be perfect…like you.” He held Haruhi’s hand and kissed it, making her cheeks turn red.

“Please, this way, ladies.”

****

“Mina, please don’t look so upset,” Hikari said, trying to cheer Mina up. Mina shook her head and continued to sulk over her food.

“I failed,” she mumbled.

“You didn’t fail,” Hikari reassured, “Mori-senpai just doesn’t talk, that’s all. You saw how he was at practice. All motion and zero dialogue. Why don't youtake the lead and tell him how you feel?” Mina sighed, lowering her head.

“I can't. Even during practice, he'd just resort back to his old self. I guess I should call it quits while I'm ahead.”

“You can't give up, Mina-chan. He might not be aware of your feelings. You can't blame him for that.” She looked up at Hikari, lost in her own thoughts before rising up from her seat.

“I’m going to go wash my face,” she said, leaving Hikari alone at her table. Hikari tried to stop her, but she was already brokenhearted.

_I really hope that Mina will turn out alright_ , Hikari thought to herself.

“Sitting alone?” Hikari turned her head and saw Satoshi making himself comfortable at her table.

“Okay, what is wrong with you?” She asked point blank, “You've been bugging me all week and trying to get in my business. What is it that you want so that you can leave me alone.”

“I just want you, Hikari-san,” he replied, “I want you to be under my control.”

“That's sick,” she spat, shooting up for her seat. Her gut twisted uncomfortably in her stomach as she collected her things. _Something's not right with this boy._ The exit was only a few steps away when someone suddenly grabbed her wrist. She got tugged back right onto Satoshi.

“Now you listen to me, Niwazaki-san,” he whispered in her ear. Hikari tried to pull away, but his grip was too. “If you keep struggling,” he threatened, “I’ll make you regret that you ever came here.” Hikari raised her hand and slapped him across the face. Her slap echoed through the cafeteria, silencing everyone.

“Don’t you _DARE_ touch me again!” she shouted. Satoshi didn't move for a moment. Then he slowly straightened his back and gave her a chilling smile.

“You will regret this.” Hikari turned on her heels and left the cafeteria, her blood slowly freezing with fear. Her legs walked a brisk pace throughout the school, leading her to a quiet place for her to be alone. Eventually, her feet led her to the library. _Perfect,_ she thought _Maybe Haruhi’s inside_. She reached for the handle, but a voice stopped her.

“You know that I’m appealing, right Hikaru?”

_Hikaru?_ Hikari looked through the cracks of the library door and saw Hikaru with his arms wrapped around someone…a girl. She had her brown hair down with a red ribbon in it. Her heart stopped. _What’s Hikaru doing?_

“I didn’t think you’d be ready?” Hikaru whispered, “Usually you don’t like it when I do stuff like this.” The girl giggled.

“You just don’t know when I’m really me.”

“I guess I’ve gotta work on that,” Hikaru sighed, lowering his head down to kiss the girl.

Hikari felt her body falling into a lock down. Her legs were frozen stiff together and her eyes were glued on the couple. Hikaru pulled the girl in tightly, his hands exploring her body. How Hikari's skin ached to have him touch her! Her skin, her heart, all yearned for Hikaru to turn around and walk away. But he didn't. He brought his lady down onto the library table. A moan escaped her lips.

“Hikari,” Hikari could hear Haruhi calling. She tried to move, but her body stayed locked. “You're crying!” She took her handkerchief and dabbed the tears off her face. Hikari hadn't notcied that she was crying. The swelling pain of her heart was too much, and made her numb for a second. Haruhi touched her cheek as if trying not break her. Once she finished, she followed Hikari’s glance and drew a quick breath. She kept switching focuses before deciding to move her.

“Come on, Hikari,” Haruhi said, placing her hands on Hikari’s shoulder, “Let’s get you out of here.” Hikari’s legs finally gave way and the two walked away from the new couple.

****

“Hikari? Haruhi?” Tamaki asked knocking on the door, “Are you almost ready? You’ve both been in there for far too long.”

“Senpai, please give us more time,” Haruhi called through the doors.

“We can’t, Haruhi,” Kyouya responded through the door, “We’ve got a schedule to keep. So hurry up.” Haruhi sighed.

“Hikari, are you sure you want to do this?” Hikari nodded, her knees close to her chest. She took deep breaths, inhaling the rose and spice scent from the costume Hikaru gave her, while tears continued to make dark circles on her sleeves.

“Hikari and Haruhi,” Yumi called through the door, “You better be ready if we’re going to do _this_!” Hikari wiped her face and tied her hair back.

“I can do this.”

{The Host Club is now Open}

“Hiroki-kun, you look so handsome.” Hiroki placed on his charming smile and handed out a dark, velvet green rose with red stem. The girls gasped at its beauty.

“A flower that is the opposite to nature shows that something magical had encountered it. Since it's blooming so beautifully, it means you young ladies have brought the magic,” Hiroki recited. The girls blushed, one holding her cheeks and the other two holding each other’s hands.

“Usually when you see a flower like this one, it means that happiness in love will be beneficial for you and your partner.” The girls suddenly squealed with delight.

“Hiroki-kun, you’re so romantic!” He smiled.

“I know how a lady should be properly treated,” Hiroki said with a bow. When he rose, he saw Mina enter the room and smiled.

“Excuse me ladies, but a friend of mine just arrived. She's here to practice expressing her love for her man.” He peered at his guests with soft eyes.

“Oh no, please go, Hiroki-kun,” one girl pleaded.

“Yes do. Every girl deserves happiness,” another replied.

“You’re very kind,” Hiroki expressed, bowing deeply. He took his leave and began his approach towards Mina. Along the way he heard another squeal. He scanned the room and was surprised to see Yumi cornered on one of the red couches.

“Kaoru-kun,” she begged, “please stop being so…so…”

“…devilish?” he finished. He laid her down on the couch, placing his hands on either side of her head to support him from falling on top of her.

“That's like asking me to stop breathing.” He brought his lips close to her ears and whispered something Hiroki couldn't hear. Whatever it was, it made her squee with pleasure.

Hiroki couldn’t resist peeking over at Hikaru. He saw him do his trick, pulling the same stunts he pulled on him; it made Hiroki sick. He shook his head and threw those thoughts aside. A mission was happening, and he had his part to play. Mina's eyes caught his and she waved hello.

“Mina-san,” he said with a bow, “I'm thrilled to see you here.” From his jacket, he pulled out the green red stemmed rose and gave it her. “Please take this in hope that your love is granted.” Mina gave weak smile. Hiroki could sense her discomfort. She wanted, Mori-senpai. Not him.

“Well then,” Hiroki announced, “Shall I have the honor of having you tonight?” Mina hesitated before nodding and taking his hand.

In an instant, Mina’s hand was out of Hiroki’s. He looked up and beheld Mori. His arm was around her waist, her body pressed against his bare chest. Her face turned a bright shade of pink.

“She’s my guest, Hiroki,”he growled, “Not yours.” Hiroki burst out into laughter, holding his hands up in defense.

“Forgive me, Mori-senpai. Thought you're wild by nature I figured that-” Mori grabbed Hiroki by the collar and pulled him close.

“Didn't you hear me? She's mine!” Hiroki smiled and winked.

“Then tell her how you feel,” Hiroki whispered in his true voice. Mori’s eyes grew wide for a moment, and then closed; a smile grew on his face.

Hands fell onto Hiroki’s shoulders and pulled him backwards.

“Mori-senpai, I cannot forgive you for threatening one of our own.” Hiroki was paralyzed by his voice. Hikaru wore his fiendish grin and held Hiroki close. Mori wasn't the least intimidated. He turned and swept Mina off her feet.

“Mina-hime, may I carry you to my section?” Mina’s face turned from pink to red, and like a robot nodded.

Hiroki felt his throat running dry. He struggled from Hikaru’s grasp and stepped on his foot. “Don’t touch me,” he threatened. Hikaru lifted his injured foot and started hoping around, giving Hiroki a confusing look.

“What was that for?” Hikaru asked. Hiroki gave a smirk.

“I don’t like guys like you, Hikaru. Devilish? Come on. I feel sorry for your girlfriend.” His last word struck a chord in Hikaru, and he saw it. His jaw tightened, and a protective look stirred in his eyes. Not being able to stare any longer, Hiroki tore his eyes away.

{The Host Club is now Closed}

“See? Didn’t I tell you that it was going to work?” Yumi bragged. Hikari and Haruhi finished changing back into their uniforms and Mina's grin had yet to disappear.

“I’m sorry I ever doubted him.” She turned to Hikari, “You were right, Hikari-san.” Hikari flashed a smile. “The girl he was with was a friend of his. She was helping him figure out a way to…to be with me.”

“That’s great, Mina-chan.” Hikari's voice didn't make her sound excited. However, Mina didn't seem to notice.

“He said she confessed to him last year and since the rejection, she had been his guest. But when I came into the picture, he wondered if she could help him express his feelings for me.”

“When did all of this happen?” Yumi asked like an eager puppy.

“After Mori-senpai swept me off my feet,” Mina answered. Yumi squealed as Hana-chan cheered while Haruhi smiled and began to pack Hikari’s things.

“I’ll meet you outside,” Haruhi muttered to her.

“It’s okay,” Hikari replied, “I’m ready to go.” When they entered the main room, Hikaru walked up to Hikari with a thumbs-up.

“Ready to go home?” he asked. Hikari closed her eyes and took a deep breath. Her vocal chords tightened, preventing her from summoning her words.

“She’s spending the night at my house,” Haruhi said with a smile. Hikaru shook his head.

“You can’t Hikari. Not without us being there.”

“She was safe last time, Hikaru,” Haruhi reassured, “And she's trying her best with Self-Defense. I think she could use some girl time.”

Hikaru glared at Haruhi and faced Tamaki. “Tono, talk to her. She’s you’re wife, isn’t she?”

“I'm not anyone's wife!” Haruhi screamed.

“You’re my wife Haruhi?” Tamaki asked excitedly.

“I didn't say that!” Hikari took the opportunity to make her escape. She quickly opened and closed the door silently. As if containing a beast, she stepped away from the door. After a few steps she turned around and began to run. Her heart swelled and burst open. Pain and betrayal ran through her veins, burning her like the tears streaming down her face. She turned the corner to go down the stairs when someone at the bottom stood directly in front of her.

_Satoshi_.

“Hikari-san,” Satoshi greeted, “Good. Just the gal I wanted to see.”

She quickly wipped her cheeks and cleared her voice. “Get out of my way!”

“Oh, someone’s a little feisty today.” He nodded to himself. “I like feisty.”

The sound of doors thrown open echoed down the hallway. Hikari faintly heard footsteps coming her way. She glared back out Satoshi.

“Move!” She yelled.

He smiled, raising one foot up and placing it on the step before him. Then the other. She watched him step closer as the host club ran close to her. Her body trembled. She had to move. She _needed_ to move.

She ran.

Hikari leapt down the stairs, trying her best to keep count. Satoshi got closer and she overshot a jump to dodge his lunge at her. Her heel landed on a step, but it lost its balanced and she slipped. It smacked down and rolled her ankle over causing her to fall. She rolled over the carpeted stairs, taking in every hit that came. It didn't matter to her. Hikaru's damage was far worse.

Finally her shoulder smacked the bottom, and rolling came to a stop. Hikari did her best to hold back her tears. To pull back all of her emotions into a jar and seal it for good. She raised her head. Satoshi had just reached her when the footsteps drew nearer.

“Hikari,” It was Hikaru.

Anger stirred in her gut, motivating her to stand up. She put pressure on her right foot and screamed when sharp, hot pain surged around her ankle and up her leg. Her hands clasped themselves around it.

“Hikari-san, you're hurt,” Satoshi said, reaching down and wrapping an arom around her. Hikari leaned to her left out of his embrace and hobbled over.

“You stay away from me,” she warned.

“You heard her.” Through teary eyes Hikari looked up at Hikaru.

“You too,” she mumbled. He bent down and brought his ear to hers.

“What?”

Anger bubbled in her chest. Hikari shoved Hikaru back and she shouted, “You too stay away from me.”

“Why?” He asked, “I'm trying to help!”

“Really? You are?” She took a deep breath, “I saw you making out with another girl in the library.” Hikaru's pupils thinned. She knew she hit a button.

“Oh no,” he said, “You can't pull that one.” He got to his feet. “You can't go back and forth, leading me on and then turning me away.”

“Leading you on?” Hikari repeated, “I wasn't the one that led you on.”

“You did!” He shouted back harshly pointing, “You did! And then you push me away. I get close and then you push me away. The last time we were intimate, you gave yourself to me. _You_ came to _me_ and led _me_ on. And I thought you were sincere...”

“Well you already solved your problem then, haven't you? You already found a girl to screw!” Hikaru's golden eyes became sharp, and pierced her in the heart.

“You bitch!” Hikaru shot to his feet and ran up the stairs. Kaoru called his name and ran after him.

Hikari reached for the railing and tried to get onto her good foot. Haruhi ran down to help her when Satoshi stood in her way.

“You can leave Hiakri-san to me,” he said, “After all, she won't be needing your assistance anymore.”

“What do you mean?” Haruhi demanded.

Satoshi turned his back on her as she spoke and scooped Hikari in his arms. She squirmed and shoved at him, but his grip was too strong. He pressed her knees between his shoulder and right hand, putting pressure on her injured ankle. She shouted in pain and lessened her movement.

“Good girl,” he purred. He then faced up at the others. “You'll be relieved to know that Niwazaki Hikari has been withdrawn from Ouran Academy. She won't tarnish your club's good name any longer.”

“You can't just take her out of Ouran like that!” Haruhi shouted.

“Oh yes I can. The Niwazaki's are her true guardians. They can do with her whatever they like. Beside, she's a wild one.”

“No,” Hikari said, “I refuse to leave Ouran. And I won't go back to them.” She began to struggle again, and he brought back the pressure on her ankle. She screamed.

“Look, I'll keep this simple and clear: Stay away from her, and she won't get hurt.”

Tamaki stepped forward, and Satoshi added more pressure. Tamaki stopped in his tracks and Haruhi covered her ears. Satoshi laughed.

“That's what I thought, Suou-san. Now, if you don't mind.” He turned and walked away. Hikari tried to look behind her, but whenever she moved he put pressure on her injury.

No dared moved until Hikari was out of the building.

****

Natasha couldn't believe she finished her cup of coffee that quickly. “Oh where are you, Hikari,” she chanted quietly while tapping the cup onto the table. Her phone suddenly rang as a smile grew on her face.

“Kyouya? What a pleasure…WHAT?”

“ _Hikari was attacked at school. I knew it was going to happen here, but I_ _couldn't act fast enough_ _,_ ” Kyouya swore. “ _Natasha,_ _they withdrew her. The Niwazaki's have complete control over her._ ” Natasha's eyes wandered towards the window. She noticed a car with a girl looking out the window. The look on her face made her jump. A chill ran down her spin as she gasped.

“Hikari!” She shouted. Kyouya mumbled on the phone, but Natasha didn't hear. She ran outside to get her out, but the car began to drive when she reached outside. When the car was out of sight, she brought the phone back to her ear.

“Kyouya…What happened? She’s with the Niwazaki’s!”

“ _Hikari was being stalked by this guy,_ _Suzuki_ _Satoshi, and I think_ _the Niwazakis struck a deal with him_ _._ _Anyway, she's hurt pretty bad. She fell down the stairs and..._ ”

“And what, Kyouya?”

“ _Hikari and Hikaru got into a bad fight. She accused him of cheating on her when he claims she led him on. It's a divide._ ” Natasha placed her hand over her mouth. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks.

“We need to figure something out…Kyouya…” Natasha’s voice tightened. “I just got her blossoming again. I can't have her taken away from me.”

“ _I know. I’ll see what I can do._ ”

 


	21. Apart by Day, Together by Night

_One week locked in a prison cell and I already forgotten what freedom was like. My captors summon me only to beat me for talking back. My security, the one that put me in this mess, tries to torture me with painful memories and poisonous words. How I wish I could take my dagger and slash him through the heart, making him feel true pain… Unfortunately, all've my belongings had been confiscated. When I started this journey, I knew would be alone. But by getting distracted by those six knights and their ladies... How I regret it._

There was a knock on the door, pulling Hikari out of her story. She quickly folded the paper in eighths and slipped it in her pocket, just in time for when Satoshi and a lady entered her room. She had short brown hair and light brown eyes that seemed as dull as Satoshi’s. Hikari looked deep in them, reminding her of a doll. Beautiful, yet lifeless.

“I thought that I should introduce to you my twin sister, Suzuki Kamiko.” Kamiko didn’t move. “She’s our little mirror, able to look like anyone and sound like anyone.” Hikari’s lips tightened _._ “I believe she’s in love with Hitachiin Hikaru.” That struck a chord with Hikari, and painful one that rumbled through her spin. Satoshi turned to her. “My little sis, I believe Hikaru-kun isn't seeing anyone special. Why don’t you go after him?” Hikari noticed color rise into the doll’s cheeks. “He did express interest in the library, didn't he?” Hikari's heart began to swell as a smile grew on the girl's face.

“Too bad you can’t see him anymore,” she said in a high, sweet voice. Hikari didn’t move. The scars on her heart reopened, bringing back the memory of Hikaru holding another girl. Kamiko giggled, as if seeing Hikari's pain. “He’s such a good kisser too.”

“Kami-chan, why don’t you head off to Ouran? I believe the club is opening soon.” Kamiko looked at her brother and left. Satoshi closed the door after her and faced Hikari again.

“Pity that you’re not allowed back to school,” he commented.

“I believe I’m not allowed to be held back from school,” Hikari replied. Satoshi laughed.

“Well, luckily, we’ve got most of Japan’s wealthiest people on our side. I think it’s safe to say…you lost.”

“You may have won the battles, but I will win the war.” Satoshi ignored her comment and wandered around her room. _How am I gonna get him out of_ _here_ _?_ Hikari wondered.

“It's a shame how your parents strike your beautiful face so much,” Satoshi said, pulling Hikari out of her pool of thoughts, “They just hate those words that come out of your mouth.”

“It will never compare to the honor of slapping you in the cafeteria,” Hikari replied with a small smile on her face. Satoshi’s smile disappeared. He looked out the window, hands in his pockets, hair falling over his eyes.

“Did Hikaru come through this window a lot?” Hikari drew a silent breath and sealed her lips shut. His name was too much for her to bear. “Did he use to hold you close? Kiss the nape of your neck?” Hikari closed her eyes. The anger against Hikaru grew along with her sadness and pain of betrayal. Her jaw tightened. _How could he not see she wasn't me_ , was all she could ask herself, _What did she do to win him over so quickly_?

Satoshi walked closer to her to the point where she could feel his body heat rising onto her. His cologne swarmed her nose, making her cough in his face. She turned and loked away from him.

“You know,” he began, “I could make this easier for you.All you have to do in return…” He moved behind her. “…is to give me…” He placed his hands on her shoulder. “…your body.” He whispered, sliding his hands down her arms. Hikari's stomach tied itself into a knot and her chest filled with anger. She grabbed one of his wrists and placed her free hand on his chest. With her newly-developed muscles from training, she threw him over her shoulder and across the room.

“I’m _not_ a sex toy. And I don’t need to have anyone helping me for anything, especially from an ass-kisser like you.” Satoshi rose, rubbing the back of his neck.

“Why you little…” Suddenly, Kira and Yuuji barged in. They gasped when they saw Satoshi down on the ground. .

“What happened here?” Yuuji shouted.

“Hikari threw across the room,” Satoshi tattled.

“Hikari-san! Do you want to embarrass us _that_ much? Is that your goal?” Kira shouted.

“Actually, yes. I wish to get out without a fuss, but you guys make it difficult, so-”

“Enough!” Yuuji shouted.He raised his hand and brought it down in full force across her face. A sharp heat of pain rushed through her cheek. She placed her hand over it, trying to cool it with her cold hand. “You’re an ungrateful child sent up from the devil.” Hikari held her throbbing cheek.

“Satoshi-kun,” Kira said, worry bubbing in her voice “Are you alright?”

“Yes, Niwazaki-san, I’m fine.” She helped him onto his feet.

Without another word, Yuuji and Kira carried Satoshi off, leaving Hikari alone in her room.

Finally.

Her body began to shake. Her heart banged against her chest, longing for the hospitality she once had with the host club. She couldn't get Kamiko's face out of her head, and Satoshi's stupid words, “ _He did express interest in the library, didn't he?_ ”

“Hikaru you idiot!” she whispered, tears starting to run down her face, “How could you choose her over me?”

****

{The Host Club is Now Open}

Haruhi carried a tray of instant coffee towards Hiroki’s table. Even though he wasn’t there, the girls came to show their support for their host.

“Any word from Hiroki-kun?” one asked him. Haruhi shook his head.

“His family emergency has only gotten worse, I hear. So it'll still be a while. Thank you for your patience until he returns.” The girls nodded and whispered together in worry. _I’m also worried about Hiroki_ _too_ , he thought, _It’s been about a week since the incident and_ _we haven't heard a thing_ _._ Haruhi looked around the club’s room. Everything looked the same and everyone was acting like nothing was missing.

_With Hikari gone_ , he thought, _everything feels out of place_. He looked over at Tamaki, who was entertaining his guests with success. _I wonder if he notices the difference in the club_. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his jacket breaking his attention. He looked down and found Hana-chan holding tightly onto her bunny rabbit.

“Where’s Hikari-chan?” she whispered, “She’s been gone for a while now.” Haruhi sighed and shook his head.

“I don’t know, Hana-chan.”

“Why did she yell at him?” Haruhi crouched down and placed his hand next to his mouth.

“Hikaru did something very bad. He made out with another girl and Hikari saw it. I don't know why Hikaru won't admit it, but she's innocent. That I know”

“But I thought Hikaru-kun loves her? Doesn’t he love her?” Haruhi couldn’t answer. He didn’t know Hikaru's feelings, but he knew Hikari's.

“Let’s just hope that wherever she is, she’s alright.” Hana-chan nodded. No longer having any questions, the young girl trotted off to Honey.

“Do you really think that, Haruhi?” Haruhi looked behind him and saw Kaoru with his hands on his hips.

“Yes, Kaoru, I do.” Kaoru nodded. “What about you?”

“I’m behind Hikaru one hundred percent. She was way out of line to accuse Hikaru like that.”

“I understand you want to protect your brother,” Haruhi said, “but that doesn't give him the right to hook-up with another girl.”

“That's just it! It wasn't another girl.” Haruhi shook her head. She remembered what she saw. “Why don’t you go back to your table, Kaoru.” He turned his back to him and headed back to his table. Along the way, he saw a girl approaching Hikaru. She had short brown hair, light brown eyes, and very red cheeks. Hikaru smiled and extended his hand.

“Hello my dear,” he said, “What brings you to my table?” The girl smiled and sat down next to him.

“Well…I wanted to send you my…condolences,” she said in an angelic voice. At first Hikaru looked confused, but then he understood her.

“Thanks, but it’s not needed.” The girl looked surprised. “I’m actually relieved; free, if you will. I can now find better girls who appreciate my company…” He lifted her chin. “…like you.” She sighed while Haruhi turned away.

“I’m glad that Hikari isn’t here to see you, Hikaru,” Haruhi muttered to himself.

“Haruhi!” Haruhi turned his head and saw Tamaki running towards him.

“Can I borrow you for a second?” Before he could even answer, Haruhi was swept into the back room.

****

Haruhi saw Kyouya sitting at a table with Mina, both involved with their laptops and papers sprawled out. Once Tamaki closed the door, Kyouya looked up.

“Haruhi,” he began, “What do you know about Suzuki Satoshi?”

“All I know is that he’s been following Hikari for some time now,” she responded.

“I've been trying to figure out Suzuki's motives, but found nothing,” Kyouya shared, “The only thing we know is that his parents are on the Education board of Japan.”

“We've theorized that Satoshi was hired by the Niwazaki's to tutor Hikari at home,” Mina added, “We're trying to figure out his bio now.”

“Don't worry, Haruhi,” Tamaki said, resting a hand on her shoulder, “We’re going to figure a way to save our daughter.” His arms rose up. “How dare those Niwazaki’s try to destroy our family. I will make sure that they face the wrath of the Ouran Host Club!” Haruhi stared at Tamaki in amazement. His purple eyes were filled with passion and reflected the few gleaming lights, adding sparkle to them.

“Senpai,” Haruhi interrupted, “Why are you so into this?” Tamaki flashed her a smile.

“Because ever since she came into the club, you’ve seem happier with us.” Haruhi drew a small breath. “Although you stayed after you paid off your debt, you’ve sometimes said how you regretted staying. Then Hikari came and you’ve said nothing since.”

“She not only affected you, but all of us,” Mina added. Haruhi was speechless. She saw them all with confident smiles on saving Hikari, even Kyouya, who's always skeptical of Tamaki’s plans.

“Natasha is going to help us figure out a way to get inside the house,” he said.

“Are we going to kidnap her?” Mina asked.

“Not yet,” Kyouya answered, “I’m still not one hundred percent sure what the Niwazaki’s are going to do, but I do know that they will keep Hikari locked in their house.”

“So why doesn't one of us sneaks into Hikari’s room and asks her what she knows?” Everyone turned their head towards the entrance and saw Hana-chan with a smile on her face.

“THAT’S BRILLIENT!” Tamaki screamed, “And the best person to go would be none other than-”

“Me.” Tamaki froze, shocked by who volunteered. Haruhi stood there with a determined look on her face. “I’m worried about her too,” she said, “I’ll go.” Tamaki lowered his arm.

“Are you sure?” Haruhi nodded. Tamaki placed one hand in his pocket and the other behind his head. “Alright.”

Haruhi left them in the back continued with her club chores. As the guests began to leave, she started a list of questions to ask Hikari that she thought would be useful in getting her out. How has their treatment towards her changed? Was she properly being tutored? How inappropriate is Satoshi? And more. Haruhitook a break from her list and tackled some of the left over tea dishes that were out on the tables. She collected a tray a stacked the plates neatly when a shadow covered the table. Haruhi looked up and saw Mori standing over her. He carried some dishes and a few tea cups and carefully placed them on the counter.

“You’re going over to Hikari’s?” Mori suddenly asked, causing Haruhi to jump. She placed her hand over her heart, taking deep breaths to calm it down.

“Why do you ask?” she asked in return. Mori took her dishes and patted her head.

“Because she's probably lonely.” Haruhi looked up at Mori, who smiled down at her. “I know she misses us.” Haruhi sighed.

“Not all.” They looked over at Hikaru, who was talking to Kaoru. He was laughing as if his relationship with Hikari had never existed.

“Don’t worry, Haru-chan,” Honey said quietly, “Hika-chan will realize that he misses Hiri-chan and will steal her away again.” Haruhi smiled.

“Thanks.”

“Haruhi!” Tamaki yelled across the room, grabbing Haruhi’s attention. “Let’s hurry, or well be late!” Haruhi grabbed her things and headed towards Tamaki. She stopped mid way and turned back. Mori continued to clean up the dishes with Honey dancing around him; and Hikaru continued talking to Kaoru, laughing about something.

****

Hikari spread herself across the carpeted floor, back flat on the floor, legs and arms apart, eyes closed. She took deep breaths, meditating in hoping to find a way out.

_What if I just climb out of the window and go out through the back?_ She thought, _Yeah, that might work. Hikaru did it all the time._ Hikari opened her eyes. _Hikaru did it all the time…_ She rolled onto her stomach and kicked her legs up and down. She winced when her right ankle tensed up and returned her legs to the floor. It still hurt after that fall. Same for her heart. The thought of Hikaru spread like poison through her body, making her to long for him, cry for him. She refused to do.

“Hikaru’s a jerk!” she said, “He just wants a girl who he can sleep with. He doesn’t want a lyrical beauty like myself.” She nodded, “Hikaru chose Kamiko because she wants to have sex with him. Fine! If she's ready, then Hikaru can have her. _I'll_ wait for a man who's patient enough to wait with me.” Her confidence began to grow. “That’s right!” she stood up as best as she could, putting more weight onto her left leg. “There’re guys out there who appreciate the work of an artist.” While raising her hand, Hikari faced the window, her other hand on her hip. She whipped her raised hand down and point out the window. Her reflection mimicked her, making her appear strong and independent.

“Hitachiin Hikaru, you had your chance. And now I get to laugh at you because without me, you’re nothing but a womanizer! And no sensible girl likes a womanizer!” She forced out a laugh. The sound of her voice echoed throughout the room and then the silence swallowed it whole. Hikari stood still for a while…until she dropped to the ground bringing her knees to her chest.

“Unfortunately for me, I fell pretty hard for a womanizer.” She sighed and stared at her reflection. Her brown hair fell across her shoulders, looking better than Kamiko’s; and her eyes were full of passion and magic, which was prettier than Kamiko’s. Hikari began to pout and rose. She unlocked the balcony door and went outside. She closed her eyes and inhaled the cold smell of pine trees.

“Christmas is coming,” she said, “I wonder if it’ll snow…”

“Well, usually it does, so I don’t see why it shouldn’t.” Hikari turned her head and stared into the tree that hung over her balcony. Haruhi was climbing down, having difficulty in the process, and talking. “The weather channel says winter will be covered with snow.” Haruhi then smiled. “Hello Hikari. It's been a while.”

Hikari smiled back and did her best to run into Haruhi's arms. Her friend came to her and the embraced one another tightly. Tears stung Hikari's eyes. “I didn't think I'd see you again.” Her heart flipped with joy.

“You know us,” Haruhi replied, pulling out of their hug, “We will always make your business our business.” She raised her hand and touched Hikari’s injured cheek. She winced from Haruhi’s cold touch. “Hikari, why aren’t you inside?” she asked, removing her hand. “It’s freezing out here.” She began to push Hikari back inside her room. Hikari slipped in her socks., the pain from her ankle shoot up her entire leg. She let out a groan which stopped Haruhi from pushing.

Once inside, Haruhi closed the door and took off her jacket. Seeing Haruhi's uniform made Hikari smile, her thoughts lost in Host Club memories. “How are you?” she asked.

“I’ve been lonely without you around,” Haruhi admitted, “I don’t have anyone to complain to about Senpai’s plans.” Hikari couldn’t help but to laugh.

“How is Tamaki-senpai? And Kyouya-senpai?”

“They’re also lonely without you. Senpai misses having a daughter and Kyouya-senpai misses having someone on his tail about his evil plans.” Hikari laughed again. “Hikari, what about you?” Hikari rolled her eyes.

“Same as ever.” She pulled out her folded paper and passed it to Haruhi. “This actually sums up what’s been happening.” Haruhi took the paper and opened it, reading intensely. Hikari followed her eyes moving left to right as they read each line. They grew wider at certain points, cuing her where Haruhi was in her story.

“Do they really beat you?” Haruhi asked, concern filling her voice. Hikari shrugged.

“It’s not a beating, but just a slap across the face.” Haruhi looked at the paper and shook her head.

“I had a list of questions to ask, yet you answered them all right here.” Hikari smiled

“Recently I've been speaking my mind. I express myself through my writing, yes, but I tell them to their faces just how stupid they are. They may think physical abuse will silence me, but it won't.”

“That’s brave of you, Hikari, but please don’t take it too far. I don’t want you do get hurt by these people any more. I know I’m not the only one thinking this.” Hikari nodded.

“I know.” There was a sudden buzzing noise coming from Haruhi’s jacket. She rushed over and pulled out her cell phone. With a smile, she said, “It’s Senpai.” Hikari gave a sly smile in response. Haruhi opened the phone and said, “Hello?”

“ _HARUHI! HAVE YOU FOUND OUR DAUGHTER?_ ” Haruhi moved the phone away from her ear. Hikari heard Tamaki's digital voice.

“Daughter?” Hikari repeated. Haruhi gave a guilty smile.

“Senpai still calls you his daughter.” Hikari straightened her back and slowly walked towards Haruhi, hoping to hear more of the conversation.

“B _ring her outside!_ ” Tamaki said, “ _I wanna see her!_ ” Hikari didn’t wait. She opened her balcony doors and looked over the edge. Below, she saw Tamaki looking other way on the phone with Haruhi. Kyouya was there too, writing in the same notebook Hikari had always asked about. Even Hana-chan and Mina talkied while sitting on the cold grass. _Oh my god…_

“YAHO!” Hikari screamed, catching everyone’s attention below, except for Kyouya’s. As they looked up, smiles grew on their faces. Tamaki threw his hands in the air, dropping his phone.

“MY DAUGHTER!” he ran towards Kyouya and began to shake him furiously. “Look, my brother, it’s my daughter!” Kyouya looked up from his books and found Hikari’s eyes. He smiled a genuine smile that warmed Hikari's heart.

“Hikari-chan!” Hana screamed, waving her bunny in the air. Hikari waved back.

“Why are you here?” Hikari asked.

“Because we wanted to tell you something,” Mina screamed back, “We're sorry for not coming sooner. We didn't want to put you at risk before coming up with a decent plan.” Hikari shook her head and smiled.

Hana-chan bounced around Mina. “We also wanted to tell you that we’re going to get you out of here as soon! So be patient!”

“Could you try to get my out before Christmas time?” Hikari asked.

“That’s our goal,” Kyouya yelled. “Just don’t do anything irrational please. It’s hard enough already.” Hikari rolled her eyes.

“Fine Kyouya-senapi. Have it your way.”

“Don’t worry, my daughter,” Tamaki shouted, “We will rescue you from them. I swear on our lives!” Hikari smiled and turned to Haruhi.

“Satoshi insinuated that you guys wouldn't come back for me. And I believed him.” Haruhi placed her chin on her hand as she rested her elbow on the cold stone railing.

“Well I think it’s safe to say that he was lying.” Hikari hugged Haruhi again.

“My wife,” Tamaki shouted, “throw down my daughter!”

“I’M NOT YOUR WIFE!” Haruhi shouted back. The two looked at one another and started to laugh.

Suddenly, Hikari heard footsteps approaching her door. She felt Haruhi’s muscles tightening, indicating that she heard it too.

“You have to hide in the tree. Climb down if you can.” Haruhi nodded and scrambled into the tree. Hikari ran inside her room, locked the balcony door, and spread herself out on the floor. She heard knocking, and then the door opening. Her eyes closed and her breaths became deeper. _Calm down_ , she thought to herself, _If I stay calm, they won’t suspect anything_.

“I have to say, it’s nice to see you spread out like that.” Hikari felt her blood beginning to boil. _Ugh…Satoshi_. Behind her eyelids, she saw the reddish-orange light turn black. Her nose began to pick up the smell of heavy cologne, causing her to sneeze and then open her eyes. Satoshi was looking over her, his feet behind her head, making his face appear upside down. “What a lovely invitation.” Hikari quickly rolled over to the side and got onto her feet.

“Sorry to disappoint you. It’s not.” Satoshi laughed. Hikari looked out the window and saw Haruhi having trouble getting down the tree. _Crap! She’s stuck. What if he looks out the window and sees her?_

“Well, Kamiko told me about her day at the club. I thought I would let you know that Hitachiin Hikaru had asked her out on a date.” Hikari felt an arrow pierce her chest. She began to bite her lower lip, raising her hand to hold her butterfly necklace. “Does it bother you that I talk about him?”

“It doesn’t matter. You're still going to tell me.”

“That’s true.” Satoshi began to look outside and sighed. Hikari looked out and saw Haruhi hiding behind the thick branches. She was about to feel relieved when she noticed something on her bed…Haruhi’s jacket.

_Shit!_ Without thinking of a plan, Hikari began to walk towards the bed, not to make a sound.

“You know.” Hikari stood still and faced Satoshi, who was still looking through the window. “Girls like you are a dime a dozen. Normally, I would have girls falling to their knees begging to have me. But you’re different.” Hikari slowly moved sideways towards the bed. Her reflection looked clear against the night backdrop. She needed to cover Haruhi's jacket before he noticed.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of me throughout the school?” Hikari jumped to the side, landing quietly before before shaking her hear.The pain from her ankle sealed her vocal chords.

“Well that will change.”

“Good luck with that,” Hikari replied heavily, a grin growing on her face, “I’m not easy at all to get through.”

“Hikaru got through you,” he said. Hikari shrugged.

“He was what I wanted.” Satoshi grabbed Hikari’s wrist and pulled her body against the glass doors. His grip on her wrist tightened as his free hand grabbed the upper section of her neck. He fixed her head so that it was facing his.

“You listen to me, little witch. If I want something, I get it. And I’m letting you know now that I will have you whether you like it or not. So be prepared to hand yourself over quietly…or by force.” Hikari smiled.

“Get used to disappointment.” She threw her leg upwards, hitting Satoshi in the grion. His face twisted in agony from the pain, pulling his hands away from her and bringing them between his legs. As he crouched low, Hikari grabbed his collar and began to drag him out the bedroom door.

“FYI: You don’t wanna mess with me.” She opened the door and threw him out, slamming the door after him. After locking her door, she ran out onto her balcony. She looked all around the tree…no luck. A cold breeze caused Hikari to shake from the cold. She wrapped her arms around herself and looked over the railing to see of anyone was there. It was empty.

“Oh well…” Hikari felt her sadness run through her body as she walked back inside. After locking the door, she picked up Haruhi’s jacket and held it close.

“I still have my friends, huh?”

****

“Why do you look so down, my brother?” Hikaru looked up and saw Kaoru smiling at him from the doorway. He shook his head, then fell forward onto the bed. “Hikaru?” Hikaru didn’t move. “Are you upset about Kamiko-chan asking you out?” Still no response. “Did you say yes?”

“No I didn’t. I don’t even know her,” Hikaru answered. He took a moment before rolling on his back and letting out a sigh. “Ever since that day, I’ve been having dreams about her.” Kaoru’s smile disappeared.

“Dreams about who?”

“You know. _Her_.”

“Oh.”

“Yeah, pathetic, right?” Hikaru sat up, he legs apart and bent, giving his arms support to hold his face as he buried it in his hands.

“What are they about?”

“I told you,” Hikaru muffled, “Her.” Kaoru closed the door behind him and joined Hikaru on the bed.

“Just her?” Kaoru asked, “Like just random pictures of her flowing through your head?”

“Well…no.”

“Can you tell me?” Hikaru adjusted himself, crossing his legs and facing his brother.

“Well…it starts off with an old memory, then it develops into something else.”

“Something else meaning, what?” Hikaru shifted awkwardly.

“Meaning…when I want to go farther…she says she’s okay with it…”

“Farther meaning…?” Hikaru’s face became frustrated before he answered.

“Like…farther…you know?” Kaoru thought for a minute before realizing what Hikaru meant.

“Oh…” There was silence. _He’s developing stronger feelings for her_ , Kaoru thought to himself, _Both mentally and physically_. “Anything else happen?”

“Well…then it’s just…” he laughed, “It’s like heaven. The touch of her skin, her hair. Her warmth wraps around me like that ribbon in her hair.” Kaoru began to chuckle. Hikaru blushed and became angry. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s just,” Kaoru said in between laughs, “that I never imagined that you would use any figurative language when you spoke about a girl.” Hikaru began to turn red.

“That’s how I see it in my dream!”

“Okay, okay.” Kaoru calmed down. “Is that where the dream ends?” Hikaru nodded. “I see.” Hikaru looked out of his window and sighed. “Can I say something?” He turned his head and shrugged. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d say that you miss her and that you long to be with her again.”

“Well I should stop thinking these thoughts, then, shouldn’t I?” Hikaru shouted. Kaoru shook his head.

“You’re human. It’s okay to miss things.”

“But she’s not just a ‘thing’, Kaoru.” Kaoru was taken back.

“Hikaru,” he began, “…is it possible that…” There was a knock at the door that broke Kaoru’s train of thought.

“Come in,” he said. One of the twin maids came in with a telephone at hand.

“A phone call from lady Yumi,” she said. Kaoru smiled and took the phone.

“Thank you.” The maid curtsied and left the brothers alone. Kaoru picked up the phone and said, “Hello?”

“ _Hey Kaoru, It’s Yumi_.”

“Hey Yumi, everything alright?”

“ _Actually, since you asked…I’ve got something that I need to share with you…about Hikari…_ ”

“Yumi, I told you my thought on this topic.”

“ _But this is different. I got a call from Natasha about how things are getting to the point where something really bad might happen to her. I can fill you in on the details tomorrow, but I_ _must_ _know: Has Hikaru said anything about Hikari_?” Kaoru paused.

“He hasn’t mentioned anything.”

“ _Grrr. Fine. I’ll fill you in on everything tomorrow. Bye._ ”

“Bye.” As Kaoru hung up the phone, he sighed. He looked at his brother, who appeared to be lost in his dreams. “Hikaru…” he didn’t move, “…are you sure she would mislead you like that?” Hikaru stood up and headed towards the door.

“I didn’t think she would. But she did.”

“Do you believe it, though?” Hikaru turned to face Kaoru.

“That was her in the library, Kaoru! I held her in my arms and heard it from her lips.”

“But hearing her on the stairs, it sounded more like—”

“SHUT UP!” Kaoru shut his mouth. “This is killing me. I don’t want to talk about her with anyone. Can’t you see that?!”

“But your dreams-”

“Screw my dreams!”

“I can’t. That’s what you’ve been doing,” Kaoru said with a smile. Hikaru blushed, not finding his joke amusing in the slightest. When he left the room, he slammed the door shut.

“Oh, Hikaru,” Kaoru mumbled, “Is it possible that you love her?”

****

Hikari shot up from her bed, sweat dripping down her face and neck. Her body was crawling all over with a familiar feeling of delight, as if someone had been tracing over them. A taste of instant coffee swirled in her mouth; the smell of rose and spices filled her nose. She was taking quick breaths, placing a hand over her face.

“I had another one…” she muttered, “But it felt so real…” A dreaded thought crept into her mind.

“Oh no, he wouldn’t.” She jumped out of bed and checked her door. It was still locked from her last encounter with Satoshi. Quietly, Hikari opened the door and examined the lock. It looked unscratched and untouched. She sighed in relief, quietly closing the door and locking it again.

“Thank god Satoshi didn’t do anything funny,” she said aloud, “But then…why do I feel so…” Hikari thought about what she was dreaming about. She closed her eyes and all of a sudden saw Tamaki’s house…then the room that she stayed in, or actually, the room that she and Hikaru stayed in. She noticed it hadn’t changed since her last visit there. The night covered it like it had that night… _that night that I was with Hikaru_ , she thought to herself. As she still wandered through her dream, she saw Hikaru in his uniform…or what’s left of it. He was sitting at the bed, facing the open window. It was spring. Cherry blossom petals were swirling around him, taking her breath away.

“Hikaru?” she whispered. He turned his head, his devilish smile on his face. Hikari looked at his golden eyes, swirling with passion and desire; it cut her breath short. His tie and jacket was lying across the bed; his white buttoned down was open, revealing his bare chest under the moonlight. Hikari had to place her hand on the wall to hold her up, for she was dazzled by his beauty. He rose and walked towards her, one hand in the pocket of his black pants.

“Hikaru, listen, I-” he placed his finger over her lips, sending chills through her spine.

“I know,” he whispered in his velvet voice, “I’m sorry for leaving you like that.”

“I’m sorry that I didn’t stay to hear you out. If I did, we wouldn’t be apart.” Hikaru laughed and cupped her face.

“We’re not apart,” he said. He took one hand and wrapped it around her waist. “No matter what, I will protect you. I told you that, right?” Hikari nodded and she felt her heart beating for happiness. Hikaru finally brought his head down and placed his lips over hers. His tongue was as playful as Hikari had remembered. The taste of instant coffee reminded her of being a part of the Host Club. She closed her eyes and flung her arms around his neck. The next thing she knew, she was on a bed, with him on top. His hands traced over her body, making her skin crawl. Soon they decided to crawl up her legs, which made her smile. Hikaru stared deep into her eyes, mesmerizing her into doing anything. She didn’t mind. She just let Hikaru’s hands linger up her leg…and then

“OH MY GOD!” Hikari shouted as she opened her eyes. The sweat continued to pour down her neck. “I was dreaming about…” her heart was beating loudly in her ears “…sleeping with Hikaru?” She shook her head and ran into the bathroom.

“There’s no way I’m dreaming about him.” Hikari turned on the cold water and splashed it across her face. Once she washed the sweat away, she fell to her knees, which pushed her legs apart. Her hands covered her eyes as tears down her wrists like rain. The pain in her ankle didn't compare to the broken heart that tapped against her rib cage.

“Hikaru…Hikaru…” she said in sobs, “Why, Hikaru?”

 


	22. Hope is Born

Haruhi poured the hot water over the instant coffee grains. Within the dark liquid, her mind wandered through the memories from her visit at Hikari's. She couldn't forget that about Hikari’s rosy cheek, _I want her_ _out of there!_

Suddenly the kitchen doors opened inward and Yumi crept in.

“Hey,” she said.

“Hey,” Haruhi replied, “I was getting the drinks ready.”

“I’ll help.”

Haruhi shook her head. “You don’t have to.” But Yumi didn’t listen. She glanced at Haruhi's coffee tray.

“Honey-kun and Hana-chan will probably want some cakes,” she said, opening a cupboard and pulling out some small, white plates.

Haruhi let out a sigh. “It’s still a marvel how they can eat all of that.”

“I know.”

There was a pause. Haruhi continued to set up everything when Yumi stopped helping. She was staring at the tray of cups. “Yumi-chan, are you alright?” she asked. Yumi didn’t move. “Yumi-chan?”

“I’m such a horrible friend,” she finally said.

“What are you talking about?”

“I just stood there as that jerk walked off with Hikari. After all these years, we rekindled our childhood friendship and I just...let her go...again.” Haruhi saw Yumi’s guilt talking over her body. It tensed up completely, slightly shaking with every exhale she did. “Even after hearing her story about why she left, I should've stepped in and stopped him.”

“He threatened her,” Haruhi reminded her, “He was going to hurt her if we dared to challenge him. What were we to do?” She took Yumi’s hands into hers. “Do you think Hikari would want you to punish yourself over this?” Yumi stared at the floor. “She would much rather see you fight another.We may've lost her then, but by doing so, we can help her escape soon.”

Tear drops fell onto Haruhi's hands. Yumi nodded, looking up at Haruhi. Determination flared in her dark eyes. “We'll get her out of there for good.”

“Haruhi!” Tamaki's voice rang through the kitchen, “Hurry up! Were gonna start soon.”

“Okay, Senpai!” She called back, letting Yumi's hands go. “Let's do our best. For Hikari.”

“Thanks,” Yumi whispered.

{The Host Club is Now Open}

Haruhi carried his tray with a steady hand, roaming from table to table delivering coffee. As his load lessened he came upon Hiroki's empty round table. He smiled and walked over to them.

“Thank you for coming every day,” he said, removing each cup of coffee, “I’m sure he appreciates your support.”

“It’s our pleasure, Haruhi-kun,” one of them said.

“Please send our love to him,” said the another.

Haruhi laughed. “I’ll will.” As he walked away, his mind began to drift.

_I wonder i_ _f she’s thinking about escaping on her own. I hope not._ _She might get anxious enough this time to leave on her own._ His eyes fell onto Tamaki. His charming smile made the girls swoon, even his own heart fluttered. Haruhi shook his head, eyes still on the king. _Senpai_ _why haven't you_ _come up with a plan yet?_

“Haruhi?” Haruhi turned around and found a worried Yumi. “I didn’t get a chance to ask, have you heard from Hiroki?”

“I have,” he answered, “And he's alright. He should lay low for a while, but he won't stop without fighting somehow.”

“Good,” she replied, “I'm glad to hear.”

“Who cares.”

Haruhi and Yumi looked over and saw Hikaru, sitting in his chair with his arms and legs crossed, “We don't need a two-face teenager around here. Let her go. She's not welcomed.”

“Says who?” Haruhi questioned, “If I recall correctly, it was you who was cheating on her.”

Hikaru shot up from his seat, scraping his chair against the floor and capturing everyone's attention. His fingers curled into fists and his chest puffed out. “That's a lie! I would never do that!”

“You did!” Haruhi shouted, “I saw you!”

Hikaru shook his head, releasing the tension building in his body for a moment before pointing an accusatory finger at him. “That was Hikari.”

“No it wasn't.” Haruhi lowered his voice, “Hikaru...you thought that she was Hikari?”

“I _know_ it was Hikari. There was no mistake.”

Yumi came up to Haruhi and tapped his shoulder. “What're you talking about?”

Haruhi opened his mouth to speak, but he began to notice everyone's eyes falling onto him and Hikaru. Murmurs across the crowd of customers swirled around them as if tempting them to answer their wonders. He closed his mouth for a second.

“Nothing,” he finally answered.

{The Host Club is now closed}

Haruhi couldn't figure it out. Hikaru was with another girl and she saw them. How could Hikaru passionately say she's wrong? Haruhi gently pressed the back of her fingers against her lips lost in wonder. This all seemed so strange.

“Haruhi.”

Her eyes slowly crawled up the student before being caught in a glare of gold. She trembled a little. With no one around, he seemed a little more aggressive. “Y-yes, Hikaru?”

“What did you see?”

Haruhi's cheek exploded with a hot sensation. She couldn't keep his stare. “I saw you making out with another girl,” she repeated, “Hikari was standing outside the library doors completely in shock.”

“That's impossible,” he explained, “She was there in my arms _giving_ herself to me. Just like how she was after our party together...”

“What're you two bickering about?” Haruhi shifted glances over to Kyouya, who led the other members to their conversation, and then back at Hikaru. He looked as serious as she did. There was no way he could back down.

“There's something we can't figure out,” Haruhi answered, keeping her focus on Hikaru, “On Hikari's last day, she and I saw Hikaru with another girl.”

“But it wasn't another girl!” Hikaru corrected, “It was Hikari.”

Kyouya brought his hand up to his chin and hummed to himself. “That _is_ a dilemma, and an interesting one at that.” He scanned the room for his laptop and headed full speed to it.

Kaoru followed him to the table and asked, “Why do you see so excited by this?”

“Because it might somehow be connected to the Niwazaki's.” He paused in his typing and faced Kaoru. The tip of his index finger lightly pressed against his glasses, pushing them up his nose. “Plus, if it turns out that there's an Hikari-impersanator, we need figure out which Hikari was the real Hikari.”

“That sounds kinda silly when you think about it,” Mina shared, “Unless she has a twin sister I'm unaware of.”

“She's an only child,” Yumi confirmed, “And I agree, it would be silly.” Her eyes scanned over the club. “But we've met some pretty impressive actors who're great with disguises. Maybe the Zuka club's involved somehow.”

Hikaru rolled his eyes, withdrawing himself by folding his arms across his chest and looking away from everyone. “I would've known if it wasn't Hikari,” he said.

“How much would you want to bet that?” Kyouya asked. He twisted his waist and spun in his chair to capture Hikaru's full attention.

“Kyouya-Senpai, that's a ridiculous question,” Hikaru answered, “Don't you see? _She's_ the one making you crazy. She's trying to make us turn on one another.”

“Hikaru, listen to yourself.” Haruhi couldn't believe her ears. Kaoru stepped away from Kyouya and approached his brother. “I know Hikari has hurt you, but that doesn't mean she's a horrible person.”

“She blamed me for my affection,” he stated, “Can you imagine what that does to a man when she takes those feelings and smashes them on the ground? Like it meant nothing?”

“What about what I saw?” Haruhi asked, “And I saw another girl. I didn't see her face, but I saw Hikari's.”

“Maybe the Niwazaki's _did_ get to her.” His voice was heavy with heartache. An emptiness suddenly swelled in his chest. “Only they could be as two-faced as she.”

Haruhi placed her hand over her mouth and turned her back to Hikaru. Her heart began to pump pain throughout her chest. She couldn't believe what Hikaru was saying. If Hikari was there to hear...Haruhi didn't want to think about it.

“Well Hikaru,” Kyouya said in his cool tone, “If you feel that way, I've got some great news for you: Hikari's being moved to America.”

Those words struck everyone like a large gong ringing through everyone's chest. Haruhi's particularly shot her heart into her stomach, and created a horrid concoction of fear and despair.

Hikaru, however, just laughed. “Please, Kyouya-senpaii, that can't happen.”

“Wanna bet?”

Hikaru didn't reply. After hearing his second bet offered, he took a step and paused. “What do you mean?” He asked.

“The Niwazaki's are one's who care more about their reputation than their adopted child. Worse, they're using her as leverage on a deal with a few American companies.” He stood up and stepped away from his seat, then offered it to Hikaru. “And it seems I've found their excuse for pulling her out of school.”

Hikaru looked at the seat and didn't move. He wasn't sure if he wanted to know. After all, his moment with her in the library was like a dream. She kept on telling him to have her; to have her any way he wanted. He couldn't have imagined a better time to seize the moment.

Something moved on his right. When he refocused, he caught Haruhi running into the seat. The others soon followed and surrounded her. He still couldn't move. Something didn't seem right to him.

“No way,” Haruhi announced, cracking the silence, “Satoshi's not a student here. He snuck in just to kidnap Hikari.” She looked up at Kyouya. “He's hired as her academic advisor?”

Kyouya's eyes stayed locked on Hikaru. “His parents and the Niwazakis created a contract to have someone 'advise' her on her education. That's how they got her out of Ouran.” He closed his eyes and let out a sigh. “I didn't think they'd dare to go against Tamaki's father.”

“Me too,” Tamaki agreed. He studied Haruhi's stare as she gazed through the screen. She did so much to stop him from leaving last year. How can he forget? She got to him on horse and buggy! And in that moment, as the fell into the river...

He broke his stare and faced Hikaru. “It seems the situation of losing Hikari has reached a dangerous level. She's going to be across an ocean's distance from us if we don't act now.Hikaru, now's the time to decide what's more important? The misunderstanding between you and her, or the feeling you have for her?” He turned his head at Haruhi who returned his gaze, her big brown eyes locking his attention. His heart beat began to pick up the pace. “I know my love for my daughter will motivate me to save her.” He raise his hand proud. “Anyone else?”

Yumi's hand shot in the air, followed by Mina and Hana. Soon the Host hands were high in the air, even Kaoru.

Only Hikaru didn't.

Haruhi tore herself away from Tamaki and stood up. “You know, Hikaru, I think we can figure this misunderstanding out.” She turned around and walked to him. “We just need your cooperation to see it through.” His eyes began to soften. With a shaky breath, Haruhi reached for his arm. “I know it's none of my business, but after becoming such good friends with her, I think I can safely say that…I think she loves you.”

Hikaru's eyes drifted towards his brother. Their conversation from the other night echoed in his ears. His dream flicked whenever he blinked. And now Tamaki's riddle rattled in his brain. But it wasn't hard to answer. He just didn't have the strength to say it out loud.

He lowered his head in defeat. “You got me,” he said, “I love Hikari.” Haruhi’s eyes widen. She couldn't believe he confessed. “I can't even recall when it began. It just came so naturally. When she was here, anyway...” Tamaki came forth and placed his free hand on Hikaru’s shoulder.

“How far would you go to save her?” he asked.

“I’ll tear the world apart if I have to.”

“Then you’re in luck.” Tamaki clapped his hands together and faced everyone. “My fellow children, we will figure out a way to save our wondrous Hikari! Kyouya.” Tamaki snapped his fingers together. “Tell us what you know.”

The front doors to the club creaked open. “I know they leave Christmas Eve for Seattle, Washington.” Everyone faced the doors, surprised to hear Natasha’s voice. She joined the group, hugging him along the way.

“You found out where?” He asked utterly surprised.

Natasha smiled, adjusting his neat blazer. “Ito-san offered some assistance. I just knew how to use your gadgets.” She winked.

“Christmas Eve?” Haruhi repeated, “That’s in two days.”

“How classic,” Hikaru commented, “It’s like a typical fairytale.”

“And that’s a bad thing, Hikaru?” Haruhi asked.

“No, it’s not. I’m just saying that…it’s funny how the deadline to save Hikari is in two days. It’s just like in the stories. Hell, it’s like last year.” Haruhi shuddered. The thought of Tamaki leaving the host club from last year made her grab his hand. Tamaki squeezed it in return.

“True, true,” Kyouya admitted, “It's like a trail of love. This year, it’s your turn to save your loved one. Do you think that you can do it, Hikaru?”

Hikaru placed both hands in his pockets and took a deep breath. “What can we do?”

“Kyouya can find the flights and transportation info, right?” Natasha asked.

“Indeed I can.”

“And what about the rest of us?” Hikaru asked. “I don't think I can sit back and wait.”

“I'm sure we can arrange something,” Mori-senpai suggested, “But it won’t be easy.”

“Takashi…” Honey's cousin smiled down at him. “We’re going to help Hiri-chan?”

“Don’t think sneaking in is easy any more, Hikaru,” Natasha warned, “They’ve got heavy security around her area.”

“Well then we’re going to have to show them who’s boss.” Yumi said placing her fist in her hand.

“I think I’ve got a better idea,” Kyouya replied.

****

“This is you’re bright idea, Kyouya-senpai?” Haruhi hissed.

“Are you complaining about my plan to reunite our lovebirds?” he asked.

Haruhi's face turned sulky. “Anyway, do we _have_ to dress up like this?” She extending her silk-coveredarms. The white gloves brought out her smooth complexion. “I mean, seriously, this is outrageous. And this dress is so itchy.” The glittery red dress nipped at Haruhi's back. “Ouch!”

“Shh, I'm sorry, Haruhi,” Tamaki whispered, “But if we want to pull this off, we gotta get fancy.”

Haruhi felt her cheeks flush a natural shade of rosy red. “Yeah, pretending that we've been invited over for dinner will get us in.” She rolled her eyes to emphasize her sarcastic humor. “This won't work at all.”

“Come on, Haruhi-chan,” Natasha said, wearing her long, dark purple dress. Haruhi couldn't help but stare in awe. A slit across her left leg showed much up her upper thigh as she walked. Sometimes Natasha made Haruhi seem way too young for this.

Natasha gave the timid Haruhi a warm smile, “Have some fun. You’re with your man in public for the first time tonight.” Haruhi reddened her cheeks even more.

“It’s just…this get-up is crazy.”

“I think you look super cute, Haruhi,” Tamaki said. Haruhi couldn't reply. Her heart was too overwhelmed with his charming smile.

“Kyouya,” Natasha said, “Is everyone in place?”

He looked across the yard and saw Yumi waving back. He nodded. “Yes they are.”.

“Alright then,” Tamaki said with a deep breath, “Just so we're clear: Yumi will cue Hikaru to climb the tree while everyone else is scattered around the house to keep an eye on the family. Mori-senpai and Honey senpai are around the perimeters of the house, keeping guards distracted.”

“You can’t forget about our secret spy, Ito-san.” Natasha pointed out. “She knows precisely where everyone is around the house. She's our focal point in knowing where the Niwazakis or Satoshi are.”

“Perfect.” Kyouya confirmed.He extended an arm through the gates. “Shall we then?”

****

“Okay! Once everyone’s asleep, I'll climb down the tree and sneak pass the guards watching the front gate.” Hikari raised her eyes and scanned her room. “There really won't be anything here I'll miss.” She glanced down and checked a box next to the word “baggage”. “All that’s left is to figure out how to let Natasha and Haruhi know my plan. I can't wait for them forever.” She fell onto her bed, her face smothered by the thick comforter.

“I have no idea what’s gonna happen to me, but I don't think I want to stick around to found out.” Hikari rolled onto her back and stared at her canopy sheer sheet. _I just have to make sure that I don’t get caught_. She took a few deep breaths before she heard footsteps approaching her door at a rapid pace. _Oh god_ , she thought as she jumped off her bed. The lock had trouble obey its master for a second. It wasn't long before it yielded, and Satoshi entered, quickly slamming the door behind him. He twisted the obedient lock once more and began to pace around her room.

“Can I help you?” Hikari asked, crossing her arms, making it clear that his presence was unwelcomed.

Satoshi snapped his head towards her her and for the first time, she felt fear. His dull, brown eyes seemed to hold more danger than nothingness. His hair was a mess and once she spoke, he tried to compose himself. However, Hikari's gut twisted. Something was different about Satoshi. His eyes now seemed to hunger for something, something apparently Hikari had. Unlike when Hikaru looked at her, his glare expressed violence.

“I’m glad you asked,” Satoshi said. His voice had a more chilling edge than normal. Hikari'sbones began to shake. “Do you know why I'm helping the Niwazakis?”

“No, and I don't care,” Hikari answered honestly.

“You should,” he said, “They offered me something more valuable than money.” He walked on over towards a light switch by the bedroom door.

Hikari straightened her back and lowered her arms. The mood in the room was shifting. As he walked, she glided towards the balcony door. Her bad ankle had to do most of the pulling, but that was a pain she welcomed. She dared to stop when he reached the switch and faced her. The stupid skin chilling grin still spread across his face.

“Women are such fascinating creatures. They are probably the weakness of any great leader or Company head. How can these women be so powerful as to bring a CEO down to their knees? Well, upbringing, of course!” His eyes left her face and began their journey across her body. Hikari could feel the heat of his stare. It made her shift her weight uncomfortably. “Get them when they learn to fight back; learn the ways of society. They fight like you.”

“You're making zeros sense,” Hikari said, “I'd really like for you to leave, please.”

He shook his head. “I love women. Particularly feisty ones. They make me work a little hard to get them under control.” He shrugged. “I guess you could call me a young Casanova.”

“That's sick,” she replied, every so slowly moving herself towards the balcony door.

“Maybe to you, but it's ecstasy for me.” He tilted his head to the side, completing his examination of Hikari's young body. “You look really good.”

Hikari squirmed and shook her head. “No,” she articulated, “No way.” She raised her arm out, the palm of her hand facing Satoshi. “You will not come near me.” Her eyes and hand gestured towards her door. “You can see yourself out.”

Satoshi laughed, eyes closed and head thrown back. Hikari took the opportunity to flip a switch on her balcony door.

“Resist all you want, Hikari-san, but eventually you'll fall for me. They all do.” He began to undo his tie. Hikari lowered her arm and brought it to the balcony door. His eyes stayed locked on hers.

“You’re mine,” he declared, “and if I have to get you by force…” His hand rose over the light switch, “…then I will.” He flipped the switch, allowing darkness to take over.

Hikari opened the balcony door and ran outside. Satoshi grabbed her wrists and pulled her back in, throwing her onto the bed. She heard himlock the balcony door. Desperation rose in her chest as she rolled off the bed towards her closet. Her eyes adjusted now, and she could see Satoshi'sfigure jumping onto the bed. He searched for her in the sheets like a predator trying to find his prey. Hikari’s heart was beating loudly in her ears, causing her to hold her breath. She _had_ to get out of there.

“Where are you?” he cooed, as if calling a cat home for the night, “I promise I won't hurt you.” A chuckle rumbled in his throat. “...much.”

Acting on impulse, Hikari reached for the closet door, opened it quietly, slammed it shut, and ran quietly to the other side of the room. “Aha!” Satoshi shouted, leaping off the bed and tearing the closet door open. As he rummaged through her things, he chanted, “I know you’re in here.”

_No I’m not_ , she thought to herself, _But that’s not gonna buy me enough time. I’ve gotta get outta here fast…_ Hikari went to her bathroom door and slammed it shut.She silently leapt to the side of her bed and held her breath, pressing her back up against the wall to blend in with the shadows.

“What game are you trying to play here?” Satoshi asked, “I never pegged you as the naughty type. You always seemed like a good girl.”

_Gross_ , Hikari thought as she watched him enter the white-tiled room. Surprisingly, he didn't turn on the light. While crouching low, she sprinted across the room once more to her balcony door. She slowly flicked the switch once more and slid the door open. The cool night air swirled around her, luring her outside to breathe in her freedom.

“There you are!” Hikari caught a glimpse of Satoshi before bursting into a run.

Without hesitation, she placed her rump and hands on the stone railing and threw her legs over the edge. Thenshe gave herself a little push, allowing gravity to do the rest.For the briefest of moments, she felt free. Though her heart rose to her throat and her stomach took its place, it was better than being near that monster.

Her feet smacked into the ground and the rest of her of her followed. The moment it did, two different pains cracked in her ankles. One erupted molten hot pain and the other a sharp, stabbing sensation. She gasped, clamping her jaw shut so as not to let out a sound. Her body was crouched over, receiving electric shocks shooting through her. It harder for her to move.

Hikari carefully turned her head to look up. He wasn't there. _H_ _e'll still_ _follow me_. The electric ping in her bones and the agony in her feet didn't stop her from hobbling towards the gates. Tears splashed Hikari's eyes with every step. She took a few deep breaths. Honey-senpai once suggested to her that in order to keep going, she must breathe. He and Mori-senpai gave her a few exercises which helped her in her lessons. She called upon them now to quicken her pace. The pain wouldn't subside, but not would she. Her speed began to pick up. Soon she started to jog. Then, a run. No longer was she going to stay here and let others decide for her her fate.

She was going to leave.

Suddenly, a ping from her right ankle expanded through her body, paralyzing her in mid-motion. The pain flared up like wildfire, burning her thoughts to a crisp. As she fell to the ground, everything faded, and her name echoed in her ears.

****

“ _I just got an update from_ _I_ _to_ _-san,_ ” Yumi said on the phone, _“_ _Hikaru shouldn't climb yet._ _Satoshi_ _'s in there._ ”

“Thanks, Yumi,” Kaoru replied.

“ _My pleasure!_ _Also, Mina reported that the guards are all clear in Hikari's area. Getting her out of here shouldn't be a problem._ ”

“Unless she acts on her own.”

“ _But she's gotta fight!_ ” Yumi persisted, making Kaoru laugh.

“She doesn't have to fight alone,” he replied, “We're here now to provide back-up.”

“ _You're right_. _”_ She sighed, _“_ _I'm sorry, I'm really nervous... Kaoru, would you mind staying on the phone with me? I don't want to risk missing your call if anything happens._ ”

Kaoru chuckled. “I will.” He looked on over at Hikaru, who sat next to him with his head leaning back against the wall. “Don’t worry, Hikaru. If anything happens to her, we’ll be the first to know. We’re right under her.”

“I know, Kaoru. I just hate waiting while she’s being tortured.”

Kaoru smiled and gently nudged him with his fist. “So…you finally said it.”

“Said what?”

“That you love Hikari.” Hikaru’s cheeks grew red, making Kaoru laugh. “That's good. When I asked you the other night about her, you dismissed her like she was nothing. Now, you're putting your feelings for her first rather than your hurt. That's great improvement.”

“Improvement from what?” Hikaru asked, eyes focused on the ground near the tree.

Kaoru placed his phone down. “You used to force your feelings onto people and act childish when things didn't work out. Now you're ready to give your feelings to someone, even if there's a chance they might not be ready for that yet.” He smiled at his brother, resting his hand on his shoulder. “You found someone to cherish more than me.”

Hikaru noticed the sadness swelling in his eyes. “Kaoru, you’re my only brother. No one is going to change how important you are to me.”

“I know, Hikaru.” Kaoru looked up at the bottom of Hikari’s balcony. “But we both have to learn to cherish other people.” He looked at his brother, who smiled in thought.

“But,” Kaoru continued, changing the tone in his voice, “we don't need to change everything. We’re still the troublesome, devilish twins who play tricks and perform the taboo act of being homo-homo lovers.”

Hikaru placed his head on Kaoru’s. “You got it.”

The balcony door slid open. Hikaru's spine straightened, hearing the sound of footsteps slapping against the stone above him. Then a figure landed in front of them. It didn't move at first. The twins huddled together, unable to tell who it was. Then she turned her head and looked up.

Hikaru lunged forward. Kaoru grabbed his wrists and pulled him back down, placing a hand over his mouth. Hikaru squirmed and fought, eyes focused on Hikari getting on her feet and walking towards the gate. His longing for her burned in his stomach and he tried to break free from his brother's grasp.

“Hikaru, we can’t help her if we give ourselves away,” Kaoru whispered harshly.

Hikaru stopped moving. He saw Hikari start jogging. She was getting away! “Kaoru,” Hikaru said, his words muffled through Kaoru's hand. “I’m sorry.”

Kaoru's eyes grew wide. A sharp pain in the palm of his hand sprung forth and he let his brother go.

“Hikaru!” Kaoru shouted, but it didn't matter. Hikaru was already too far away to hear him.

****

Hikaru ran after Hikari. She stumbled for while before she suddenly froze and fell onto the ground.

“Hikari!” he screamed. She didn’t move. He caught up to her, bending down to get her on her back. She looked pale as strands of her dark brown hair rested on her red cheek.

“Hikari…what were you thinking? Jumping off a balcony like that with your ankle the way it is.” He wrapped his arms around her and held her close to him. He pressed his hand beside her face. Her skin was ice cold. He removed his jacket and gently lifted her. While putting the jacket on her, he examined her body of any signs of recent abuse. Nothing serious struck him, and he sighed in relief. When he finished, he held her close. His fingers stroked through her hair and he rested his head on hers.

“Hey, Hikari,” he began, his voice barely above a whisper, “I want you to know that I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I didn't insist on talking things out properly. I shouldn't have jumped to conclusions thinking you were two-faced.” His embrace with her tightened. “I don't know what happened that caused us to be apart, but know this: my feelings are true, and with yours it will shed light on the matter.” His hand grew tired from the stroking and eventually rested around her waist. Within his jacket he could feel his present press against his arm. He'd hoped she'd open her eyes soon. Then he could present it to her and tell her his feelings.

He closed his eyes. Memories swirled like autumn leaves in a breeze, particularly more recent ones. Then those from the library appeared in his mind. “If that really wasn't you, I will do everything in my power to show you my feeling.” His eyes opened and they looked down at his sleeping beauty. “Hikari…I-”

Sudden sounds of footsteps approached Hikaru. When he turned his head, he saw the Niwazaki guards approaching. “Shit, what happened to Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai?” The guards arrived and pointed their guns at him, asking him to stand and leave “the body”. As if ripping a part of himself off, he gently placed Hikari down and rose up. His feet were planted and raised up his fists. He had her now, and these guards weren't going to stop him.

“...Run…”

Hikaru looked around before glancing down. Hikari, her dark brown eyes slightly open, looked right at him with a weak smile forming on her lips. “…please…run…Hikaru...I’ll…” she took a breath, “I’ll be fine…” Her head fell to the side as her eyes closed once more, her gentle breath blowing against the blades of grass.

“Sir, if you please,” One of the guards said.

“Yeah, yeah,” Hikaru said, eyes locked onto Hikari. “I heard you the first time.” The guards pressed onto his shoulders and pushed him towards the exit. He turned his head back behind him, seeing others carrying Hikari back to her room.

_I promise, Hikari. I will save you from this hell house._

****

Haruhi was amazed at the food displayed in front of her. A smile grew on her face as she saw a waiter bringing in a plate of Ootoro sashimi and placing it in front of her.

“Suou-san said that you like Ootoro, Fujioka-san,” Yuuji commented.

Haruhi collected her manners and nodded. “Yes, I do.”

“So what do you hope to be when you’re older, Fujioka-san?” Kira asked.

“I would like to be a lawyer,” she answered.

“A lawyer,” Kira repeated, “That’s a big position to take on. I hope you achieve it one day.”

“She will, Madame,” Tamaki said. “But let us not get distracted by your invitation.”

“Er…right,” Kira said, “The invitation we sent you…” she turned to her husband, hoping for some clarification.

“We understand of your wish to send the young Niwazaki-san to America,” Kyouya said in his cool host type tone. “Your invitation asked for sponsors to help her along her trip. We would like to be those sponsors.”

Haruhi almost choked on her Ootoro. _What the-?_ she thought. Eyesfell upon her.

“Fujioka-san, are you alright?” Kira asked.

Haruhi nodded. “Yes, excuse me.”

Kyouya cleared his throat and continued. “To provide a smooth and safe journey to the States, I would love to offer my guards to escort you on your trip. That includes extra protection for the young Niwazaki-san so she won't get any ideas.”

Yuuji exchanged smiles with Kira and reached for her hand. Then he nodded at Kyouya. “We would appreciate the support. Thank you.”

“Our pleasure,” Kyouya replied, pulling out his notepad and pen. “Then could you please tell us the detailed departure of Niwazaki Hikari?”

“Most certainly, Ootori-san,” Kira said. As she opened her mouth, a loud bang from upstairs came crashing down. Haruhi felt her heart freeze as she noticed Satoshi entering the dining room. He bowed deeply.

“Forgive my interruption,” he began, “But there's an emergency. Hikari's being kidnapped.”

Haruhi shot a worried look at her team, but none of them broke character. She did her best to keep her head facing the ootoro. Question bubbled in her mind and her hands locked themselves together. _Hikari! Please be patient. We're right here._

Tamaki reached for her hand. His warmth spread across her writs. “You're a curious one, aren't you?” He said. Haruhi's eyes found his, surprised that he even spoke up in the first place. “I think you're right.” Before Haruhi could even ask, Tamaki turned his head to his VP. “Kyouya, Natasha, we should go examine the room for evidence.”

“There's no need for that,” Satoshi assured, his eyes darting between the four, “After all, our security guards will return her shortly, I guarantee.”

“If you had the Ootori group's support, she would've never gotten kidnaped in the first place,” Kyouya countered, “After all, nothing escapes through my police force.”

“You're too kind, Ootori-san,” Satoshi replied, a kind smile spreading across his lips. Haruhi shivered once he drew it. “But that would be unnecessary, and be a great hassle on your part. Really, as her academic advisor, I've got this under control.”

“Since when does an academic advisor also provide guardianship?” Natasha asked, “I would hope there's no neglect on her parent's side.” She glared at the Niwazaki's. They stood tall in her stare, and did their best to glare back.

“Hikari-chan is our daughter,” Kira insisted, “We want nothing but the best for her.”

“She refuses to believe that we know exactly what she needs,” Yuuji explained, “She can be a proper asset to society, but she has to be conditioned for it.” He nodded to Satoshi. “Please bring her back safely, Satoshi-san.” Satoshi bowed before dashing out the front door. Haruhi wanted to run after him, but Tamaki's warm hand kept her by his side.

“This does concern me,” Kyouya shared.

Kira gave Yuuji a worried glance before focusing on Kyouya. “If it's any consolation, she might've not been kidnapped. Hikari has developed this notion that we're out to ruin her happiness, and sometimes runs away. That's why, Ootori-san, your offer of your guards...”

“When's Hikari's departure date?”

“Within the next few days,” Yuuji answered, “If you like, I can take you to my office, and I can give you the details.”

“I'd appreciate it, thank you.” Kyouya turned and kissed Natasha on the cheek. “I won't be long.” He then caught Tamaki's attention and gestured towards Yuuji.

Tamaki exhaled slowly through his nose before leaning into Haruhi. “I gotta go with Kyouya,” he whispered, “You two try to figure out what happened to Hikari.” Haruhi bobbed her head. Tamaki smiled and kissed her cheek. Her face soon matched the color of her dress.

The moment the boys were gone, Natasha went straight to it. “Kira-san, would you please take us to the young Niwazaki-san's room? I can't help but worry for her.”

Kira laughed. “You don't need to worry for her one bit. She's such a drama queen. Really, I'm sure she's—”

“Please,” Haruhi insisted, surprised to hear her own voice echo in the house, “Whether it was right or wrong, she's still a person. We should still make sure that she's alright. Otherwise...she might be unfit to travel.” She lowered her head slightly when she finished. She hated those last few words.

“I'm sorry, but I don't feel comfortable doing that,” Kira answered, “Hikari's privacy is hers and hers alone.”

“If that's the case, then why does Suzuki-san keep entering her room?”

“He's her advisor, of course,” she answered with a giggle, “How else can he help her?”

“By leaving her alone, that's what,” Natasha said while stepping forward. “I understand wanting someone with a background like Suzuki-san to look after your daughter, but what about his record?”

Kira's eyes grew wide and her jaw tightened. Haruhi straightened herself and stood close to Natasha.

“I...don't know what you mean,” Kira replied, “His records didn't concern us.”

“Do you know how many students he forced himself onto?”

“You shouldn't believe everything you hear,” Kira warned, “Those girls were wild to begin with. Like Hikari. They want to be the victim because of some tragedy in their life. We gave her everything to be happy and how did she thank us? With ridicule and deception. She needs to be put in her place and Suzuki-san will show her that.”

“Fujioka-san,” Natasha said, “Please go and look inside Hikari's room. See how true she's speaking.” Haruhi nodded and ran towards the stairs. She could hear their conversation continue, but it dwindled into nothing.

When Haruhi got there, the door was still open. She called out to anyone and only her echo welcomed her. Her feet took a few steps before stopping. Natasha's comment about Satoshi stung like a bee. Her eyes found a messy bed, with the comforter and sheets balled to the side. The closet door by the bed was part open with all've her clothes spilled onto the floor. A cool breeze swept through her legs. Haruhi jogged to the balcony and leaned over.

“Kaoru!” nothing. “Kaoru!” Haruhi screamed louder. Still nothing. _What happened?_ Haruhi heard footsteps from her left and looked over; there were guards heading towards the exit. Was it Kaoru and Hikaru they were heading towards? Did they have Hikari? Haruhi tried her best to keep the questions away, but they persisted like buzzing flies.

The group of guards suddenly split in two. Half went farther to the exit and the others came back to Hikari's balcony. As they approached, Haruhi examined the crowd. They carried someone and she tried her best to see. Finally, she caught a glimpse.

“Hikari!” she called. It didn't do anything. The guards continued to carry her away and she didn't stir from her sleep. Haruhi rested her elbows on the railing and buried her face in her hands.

“She’s a brave girl.” Haruhi shot up and spun around. Tamaki looked over the railing.

“All of this seems so unreal,” Haruhi said in disbelief, “She couldn’t have jumped from here to down there.”

“She did.” Tamaki cupped Haruhi's face. “Ito-san came by when Kyouya and I finished with Yuuji-san. She said Satoshi came into the servants' corridors muttering, 'She jumped. She actually jumped'.”

“Well she should be more careful,” Haruhi replied, anger rising in her voice, “How can we help her if she does stupid shit like this?!”

Tamaki pulled his hand away. His charming smile tugged at Haruhi's heart strings as he spoke. “That's why I love you.” He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her in for a kiss. “Now let’s get going,” Tamaki said, “If we want to help her, we need to get our own kidnapping plan in order.” He extended his arm and Haruhi took it. As they walked away from the room, Haruhi noticed her jacket on the floor from her last visit. Suddenly, an idea came into her mind.

“Senpai, can I borrow a pen?” Tamaki drew a pen from his pocket and passed it to Haruhi. She quickly grabbed it and ran to her jacket. She stuck her hands in each pocket, hoping to find a scrap of paper. Within her left pocket, something crinkled in her hand. She pulled out the content. A small, round, hard candy rested in the center of her palm. She unwrapped it, threw the candy on the floor, straightened the wrapper, and wrote, “ _We will save you. Haruhi.”_ She shoved the message back into the pocket and left the jacket where she found it. Haruhi then gave the pen back to Tamaki. “Now we can go.”

As they descended downstairs, she noticed Kyouya and Natasha shaking their heads at Yuuji and Kira. When she reached the ground their conversation could be heard.

“I’m assure you, Ootori-san, we have Hikari's interest at heart. Suzuki-san has dealt with students who were wild, and wouldn't give their parents the light of day—”

“Yes, I understand the logic,” Kyouya replied, “But I don't approve of any person encouraging or insisting on sexual abuse. If you want our support, Suzuki-san must be removed from the picture.” Kyouya offered his arm to Natasha, and Tamaki did the same. The ladies took it. “We want to help, Niwazaki-san, but only if you wish to do this professionally.” He bowed. “We'll take our leave.”

Before Haruhi had a chance to bow, they stepped out of the mansion.

No one spoke on their way back to the car. Haruhi couldn’t get the conversations out of her head. When she got to the limo, she was surprised to see everyone already settled in. It was quiet. Mina, Hana-chan, Mori-senpai, Honey-senpai, Yumi, Kaoru, and Hikaru sat, appearing upset.

“So,” Kyouya said, adjusting his glasses, “Would someone like to tell us what happened?” Everyone looked at the floor or out the window, not knowing who should go first. “How about you, Hikaru?” he suggested, “Since your post was under Hikari’s balcony you must know the main bits.” Hikaru looked out the window, looking at Hikari’s balcony, his hazel eyes torn.

“I don’t know what happened in her room, but Kaoru and I heard Hikari come onto the balcony. Suddenly she landed in front of us. I don’t know if she jumped or was pushed, but either way, she wanted to get away. Even with her ankle she ran until she couldn't anymore. She just fainted. I went after her and noticed how pale she’d become.”

“Probably from the pain and lack of warmth,” Natasha commented. Her lips were pursed together. She did her best to hold her tongue back.

“Right,” Hikaru responded, “Anyway, I put my jacket on her and before I could say anything, the guards came and took her away from me. I would have fought them, but Hikari told me not to.”

“She _told_ you?” Kyouya asked, not sure if he’s understood Hikaru’s properly.

“Yes, she spoke,” Hikaru said, a little annoyed, “She said to run and that she’ll be okay.”

“That’s it?” Tamaki asked. With a nod, Tamaki looked on over at Mori and Honey-senpai. “What about the guards?”

“Takashi and I tried to hold them back, but once Sato-chan called them to find Hiri-chan, they wouldn’t listen nor fight with us.”

“Ah,” Mori-senpai confirmed.

“But, we found out that they were told to arrest someone who ‘kidnapped’ Hiri-chan…”

“…which was Hikaru,” Mori-senpai finished, “We convinced them that there was a misunderstanding and that we’ll take him from here.”

“Do we know what happened afterwards?” Natasha asked, looking at Yumi, Mina, and Hana-chan.

“Well,” Yumi began, “we saw Satoshi enter her room. Ito-san stood nearby until she heard something happen inside. She tried to open the door, but it was locked. She ran toward Yuuji’s office to get the keys, but footsteps were coming, so she stopped and hid in another room.”

“That was when she heard us in Yuuji's office,” Tamaki added, “She shared with me that Satoshi looked worried when she jumped over the railing.”

“They're going to increase security,” Hana-chan shared, “When the guards ran after Hikari, Mina and I heard Satoshi hire more guards.”

“It's ridiculous, really,” Mina said, “But that's not the worst part.” She took Hana's hand into hers. “He called someone else. Kamiko, I think was the name. He asked her for a favor.” Her eyes went over to Hikaru, who's attention was completely on her. “Satoshi wants to use Kamiko as bait to lure you away from Hikari.”

“I see,” Kyouya said, looking down at his notebook, “So Satoshi wants the girls while Kamiko wants the boys.”

“What do you mean?” Mina asked.

“Well we just learned that the Niwazakis sold Hikari to Satoshi,” he answered bluntly, eyes focusing on Hikaru. His golden eyes flared in range, but he didn't move. “He's got a bad record for sexually assaulting girls he tutored.”

“What about this other girl,” Haruhi asked, “Kamiko, was it?”

He nodded. “Suzuki Kamiko is Satoshi's younger twin sister. She's a little...boy crazy, if you will.” His notebook cover flew open with the push of his finger and he began to skim his notes. A finger tapped against the sheet when found something. “Seems to me she's got a huge interests in Host Clubs all over Japan.”

“That's sick,” Natasha spat, “Selling a person to another...those despicable people....”

Kyouya stretched his arm around his woman. “We'll save her.”

“We will!” Tamaki shouted, “We have everything we need. Now we can plan for Operation ‘Kidnap my Daughter and Bring her to Safety’!”

The limo began to pull away, and Haruhi's eyes were glued to Hikari's balcony. As they drove away, she saw a figure walk on, and they looked right at her.

****

Hikari heard her name being called faintly in the distant. _Who is it? What do you want?_ She asked in her mind. Slowly, she opened her eyes in a brightly lit room. Everything seemed blurry though her eyes at first, but soon everything began to focus, giving Hikari the sense that she was in her room.

“How on earth could you do that, you ungrateful child?!” Shrieked an unwelcomed voice

_Ah, Niwazaki Kira. Oh boy…_ , Hikari thought.

“Do you know what we went through tonight?” she asked, “And with the Ootori and Suou group here?”

Hikari's back straightened to the fullest. “Ootori? Suou? What did they want?”

“Nothing that concerns you, that's for sure,” Yuuji answered entering her room without permission. “What I want to know is why you dared to run away?”

“Because Satoshi was going to have sex with me, and I'm not okay with that!”

“Oh, grow up,” Kira said, “It's just sex.”

Hikari’s jaw dropped. She couldn't believe what was passing through her ears. “Are you joking?”

“Of course we're not!” She screamed. Yuuji nodded as she continued. “Look, Satoshi offered his services for the price of you. He said that if you were his to control, then he was our must humble servant. What would you have us do?”

“Not accept the offer!” Hikari shouted. She shook her head and nodded to Yuuji. “How can you not see that this is crazy. You two—and Satoshi—are why I'm leaving this place.”

“Crazy, stupid girl,” Yuuji replied, “You put this upon yourself.”

“I can't believe this,” Hikari said aloud to herself. She took a deep breath and looked them both in the eyes. “You two are horrible parents!”

“And you're an ungrateful little bitch,” Kira said with a smile, “I suggest you slip into something more fitting for Satoshi. He deserves your best for keeping you away from those boys.” She looked at her husband and extended her hand. “Sweetie, I'm tired. That was such a long night.”

Yuuji accepted her hand and kissed it. “Then let's put you to bed. We've got preparations to make for the big trip.” The two laughed in their own world as they left Hikari to stew.

Hikari jumped off the bed and closed the door, locking it secure for the night. Then she broke into a run, frantically opening her balcony door and stepping outside. Her eyes scanned around and fell upon a long, black limo. “I wonder if the Host Club is in there,” she said. She looked through one of the tinted windows, hoping it was Haruhi. However it began to drive away, and Hikari's heart sank into her stomach.

“Tamaki-senpai and Kyouya-senpai were here,” she whispered, “They actually came here. I wonder why...” Hikari turned around and stepped back onto the white carpet of her room. _Guess I better head off to bed_. Her feet grazed over the soft carpet until it kicked a piece of clothing. When Hikari's eyes fell on it, she gasped.

“Oh god, I forgot about that. How’d that get out here?” She grabbed the jacket and examined the pockets. “I hope no one took anything from here. Poor Haruhi would-” a crackle sound came from the jacket. “Huh?” Hikari searched and found a candy wrapper in one of Haruhi’s pockets.

“Hmm…guess someone stole Haruhi’s candy. Funny, she's not one for sweets.” She placed the jacket on her bed and was about to throw it away when she noticed something written on it.

“What the…?” Hikari straighten out the wrapper and saw a message in Haruhi’s handwriting. “ _We will save you. Haruhi.”_ Hikari re-read the note over and over again, making her heart sprout wings and flying all around her chest.

“They’ve got a plan.” A smile grew on her face. “They’ve got a plan and will get me outta here!” She folded the wrapper and put it back in Haruhi’s jacket. As she walked around to turn off the lights, she noticed something dark in the bathroom. Hikari slowly made her way towards the object and was surprise to find another jacket. When she picked it up, the smell of roses and spices filled her nose.

“Oh god…” She closed her eyes, and took a deep breath. “How’d this get here?” Her hands rummaged through the pockets andknocked something onto her foot. Something soft. Hikari looked down and saw a light blue rose with a long, green steam. She bent down to pick it up, unsure of how to feel.

“Where did this come…from…” Slowly, something played through Hikari’s mind like a movie strip: Hikaru was holding her, stoking her hair and apologizing to her. “He was going to say something important...” Hikari leaned against the wall and slowly slide down. “I told him to run. It wasn't...a dream...” She looked down at the rose, very carefully petting a petal. “Does this mean…he believes me?” With a small hope burning in her chest, Hikari hopped onto her feet and walked towards Haruhi’s jacket. She pulled out the candy wrapper and placed it around the rose. At the corner of her eye, she saw her red ribbon wrapped around her bed pole

“Perfect!” She took the ribbon and wrapped the wrapper against the rose, creating her beacon of hope.

“I believe that you’ll help me escape… Ouran Host Club.”

 


	23. The Rescue plan

Tamaki paced the room with a cup of ramen in his hand, slurping away. The broth swished from side to side, always spilling out from its styrofoam bowl and onto the floor. Haruhi shook her head, placing her tray of instant coffee on a table. _I'm gonna clean this mess if he doesn't stop_. She opened her mouth to speak.

“Tamaki.” Haruhi closed it shut. She was surprised to hear Kyouya's voice instead of hers. His fingers didn't leave their post when he continued, “Stop eating that garbage. You're making a mess.”

Tamaki jumped up, clenching the chopsticks tightly in his right hand while the broth swirled down to the white, marble flooring.

“CAN’T A FATHER BE WORRIED ABOUT HIS DAUGHTER?!” Tamaki screamed. A decent wave of broth rolled out of its bowl and onto Tamaki's uniform. The Host King's eyes grew wide as the heat stuck his skin. His voice rang out in agony, bringing laughter to a few of his subjects.

“It’s alright, Tono,” Kaoru said after a round of giggling, “We’ve got another uniform in the back.”

Yumi sighed, finishing her round of laughing, and rested her head on Karou's shoulder. “Tamaki-kun sure is a klutz.”

“You have no idea,” Haruhi added.

She glanced over at Hikaru, who was staring out through the window that faced the rose garden maze. His eyes appeared to have been staring into a memory rather than at the flowers. _Probably thinking of seeing Hikari_ , she thought, _He must be worried sick_. She grabbed a cup of coffee from her tray and walked over to him.

“Hey,” she said, passing over the cup, “Here.” Hikaru looked at it and took it.

“Thanks.” He said in a monotone voice, bringing his eyes back out onto the garden.

Haruhi turned away and looked at the rest of the club. Everyone did their own thing, whether it was eating cake or flipping through a fashion magazine. Mina and Mori-senpai went out to grab a few things Kyouya had wanted. _They’re all thinking about tomorrow_ , Haruhi thought, _They’re wondering whether the plan will work or not_.

“Haruhi,” Kyouya called. Haruhi jump from the sound of him calling her name. “Clean up the ramen spill.”

Haruhi pouted as she stomped her way towards the back room. She grumbled to herself as she opened the door, feeling more like a maid rather than an equal member. Her expression quickly vanished, however, when the mop wasn't in its usual spot. _Where would they move it?_ Haruhi searched around. The last spill was in Honey's section, and she was pretty sure she cleaned up that mess as well.

“Ah, Haruhi!” Surprised to hear her name, she turned around. Tamaki zipped up his new pair of pants and then ran his fingers through his hair.

Suddenly, Haruhi felt her cheeks burning. Her eyes couldn't remove themselves from his bare chest. _I’ve seen him without a shirt on before,_ Haruhi thought, trying to calm down her beating heart, _This should be nothing. Damn it, calm down!_

“What're you looking for?” Haruhi jumped, and stared at the ground.

“I-I just needed to find the mop.”

“Ah, it’s over in the corner,” Tamaki pointed behind him. Haruhi briskly walked past him, grabbed the mop, and quickly walked out. With a slam of the door, Haruhi took deep breaths, trying to ease her throbbing heart.

“That was…unexpected,” she mumbled.

“My my my,” Yumi replied, examining the disheveled Haruhi, “Looks like our Haruhi is finally falling for Tamaki-kun.” Haruhi felt a heat wave trace up her spine.

“Tono, will be thrilled to hear this,” Kaoru continued, “He’s been waiting for this moment since he fell for her.” Haruhi felt her whole face turn red.

“E-Excuse me, but I’ve gotta clean up Senpai’s stupid mess.” She quickly walked past them and stopped. “Also…” she turned to face Yumi and Kaoru, “…what happens between me and Senpai is none of your business.” As she walked away, she felt the ground shake under her feet.

“Oh ho ho ho ho!”

_No!_ Haruhi screamed. _Not now, I don’t need this now!_ Haruhi turned and saw Renge rising from the center of the room on her spinning platform.

“Haruhi-kun and Tamaki-kun, two host members falling in love.” She threw her hand in the air, sparkles surrounding her eyes, “It’s something that many girls have been wondering. Why is Tamaki-kun so interested? Is it because he truly loves Haruhi? If that’s the case, then I shall eat three bowls of rice today!”

Kaoru raised his hand. “Renge-kun, I thought that you liked Haruhi.”

“Of course I do!”

“Then why are you so set on having Tamaki-kun and Haruhi to get together?” Yumi asked, draping herself over Kaoru.

“That’s a completely different story,” Renge answered, placing her hands on her hips.

“I didn’t know you were here, Renge-san,” Mina said when she and Mori-senpai entered the room. Haruhi noticed Mori carrying two brown bags and Mina carrying none.

“Well, I’ve been busy using Hiroki’s stories to incorporate them into my Moe magazines. I _had_ to disappear for a while in order to complete them.” Renge hadn't looked at Mina until she had finished. Once she did, her eyes widened and laced her fingers together, her lips curling into a cat-like smile.

“Oh my! You’re Mori-senpai’s girl aren’t you?” Mina blushed and nodded. Renge spun around and clenched her fits. “This is perfect! Honey-senpai’s reaction to having someone taking his place in Mori-” she suddenly stopped short, looking all over the room. “By the way, where’s Hiroki-kun?” Nobody moved. No one was sure who would tell her what.

“There was a family emergency,” Tamaki said, closing that back door behind him and breaking the tension building in the room, “But I assure you he’ll be back in time for the Christmas ball.” Renge smiled happily, spinning in circles.

“That’s good. I was hoping that maybe he’d cause a conflict between my Tamaki-kun and Haruhi-kun love triangle.” Haruhi sighed and looked on over at Hikaru. He hadn’t even moved.

“Renge-kun,” Kyouya said, interrupting her fantasies, “You seem like you know Ouran females well. Do you know anything about a Niwazaki Hikari-san?”

Renge stopped fantasizing and blinked in thought. “Hikari-san…like the freshman in class 1-A who hasn’t been in school for a while.”

“That’s the one.”

“Isn’t there a rumor saying that she’s dating Hikaru-kun?”

“Yes, very one,” Kyouya confirmed, “Did you know her?”

Renge placed her index finger on her chin, thinking, lost in thought. After a moment, she placed her hands on her cheeks, blushing a little. “I've never spoken to her, but she's an idol in the moe world,” she said, “She always was cool and calm, especially when she was around the host club. I could've sworn she would be dating Hiroki-kun since the two of them have a love for writing, but I guess every woman has—”

“What?!” Everyone looked at Hikaru, who had finally torn his eyes from the window, “What do you mean, 'her love for writing?' How’d you know?”

Renge shrugged. “Suzuki Kamiko told me.” Haruhi’s grip on the mop tightened. “She said that she was writing in secret against her parent’s wishes. I was so surprised when I found out.” She placed her hands on her cheeks again. “But that’s what makes us moe girls respect her, because of the way she composes herself at school and how she’s pursuing her passion. Actually…” Renge jumped off her platform and walked up to Tamaki. She stood on her toes, trying to reach his eye level.

“…I heard Suzuki Kamiko also saying how Hikari-san was actually Hiroki-kun in disguise.” Haruhi felt a chill go through her arms. She looked at Senpai, hoping that he’d come up with an explanation. As surprised as he was, he quickly composed himself and gently pushed Renge down onto her feet.

“Renge-kun,” Tamaki said, “Hiroki is Hiroki and Hikari-san is Hikari-san. I assure you, they're not one and the same.” Renge’s eyes squinted at him.

“Then why don’t I ever see him around school during school hours?” Haruhi watched impatiently, waiting for Tamaki to say something. But he remained silent. Even the King couldn't think of something.

Yumi sighed loudly. “It’s alright, Tamaki-kun,” she said, “You don’t have to hide Hiroki-kun any longer.”

“What are you talking about, Yumi-chan?” Renge asked.

Yumi's eyes stayed locked onto the floor. She took a second to gather her thoughts before looking up at Renge. “Hiroki-kun doesn’t go to this school. He goes to mine.”

Renge gasped. “An outsider in the Host Club?!” She asked, appalled by what had come out of Yumi’s mouth.

Yumi nodded. “Hiroki had wanted to go to Ouran for high school, but didn’t get in.” She pointed to Tamaki. “Then Hiroki-kun found the Host Club and asked Tamaki-kun if he could partake in it. Even though it's a club activity, it was better than not coming here at all.” Everyone was silent and shocked by the act Yumi displayed, even Kaoru’s jaw fell open to the ground.

With everyone's eyes on him, Tamaki struck a pose. “Of course! And because of this, we decided to keep his bio a secret, so as not to cause any alarm to our guests.”

Haruhi straightened herself and leaned the mop on a column. She approached her manager. “Renge-kun,” she said, trying her best to act like a host, “Hiroki-kun is very dear to me, and I don’t want him to be sent away because he isn’t a student here. Please, can you keep this between us?” Renge didn’t move. “Oh, and if you can, can you try to convince others that Hikari-san is not Hiroki-kun? I think they'd both appreciate it.”

Renge let her hair fall in front of her eyes. “Haruhi-kun... I’ve never seen you this passionate before about a person…” She threw her hair to the side, laced her fingers together, and changed the atmosphere around her.

“It’s perfectly Moe!” Haruhi tried her best to smile. “Alright then!” she jumped back onto her platform, placed on hand on her hips and the other in the air. “I will spread the gossip immediately. Operation ‘Keep-Hiroki-kun-A-Secret’ will be set into motion.” The ground began to shake again as her platform began to descend.

“I hope Hikari-san returns to school soon,” Renge commented, “I miss having her around. She’s our Moe idol, after all.” Finally, Renge disappeared into the floor, leaving everyone silent once again.

“I had no idea that the Moe girls even noticed Hikari,” Haruhi pointed out.

“I noticed as soon as she entered this school,” Kyouya commented, “Moe girls love those who seem ‘out-of-the-ordinary’, such as Hikari.” He opened his notebook next to him. “Because of her aloofness in class, yet her respect for those around her, not only the Moe girls, but everyone began to notice her own ‘air’, if you will.”

“But, Kyouya-senpai,” Haruhi interjected, “You knew about Hikari before she even came to this school.”

“Just because I knew her doesn’t mean that others didn’t secretly idolize her.” He adjusted his glasses. “It’s sort of like the Zuka club, people love and respect them because of their performances. It really doesn’t matter who they really are.” Haruhi shuttered at the thought of the Zuka Club.

“Couldn’t have you picked a different analogy?” Yumi asked.

“The point is,” Kyouya continued, “Hikari was respected here more than she thought. She was admired by many of the students afar in this school.”

“Wow,” Mina said, amazed by Kyouya’s analysis, “I wonder if Hikari-san knew.” She looked up at Mori-senpai, who shrugged his shoulders, still holding the bags. “Oh, Mori-senpai, I’m sorry, I forgot about those bags!” Mori smiled and carried them to the table that Kyouya was working at.

“It’s okay,” he said, “Also…” he turned to face her, tucking a strand of her blonde hair behind her ears. “…you don’t have to call me ‘Mori-senpai’.” Haruhi noticed Mina’s face turning red at a fast rate. “You can just call me by my first name.”

Mina stared at the floor. “T-T-Takashi…kun…” she muttered. Mori smiled and nodded. Mina didn’t dare look up at him as Mori began to unpack the bags.

Yumi rested her arm on Mina’s shoulder, a huge grin on her face. “Nicely done, Mina-chan!”

“YAY!” Hana-chan shouted, “Now Mina is really close to Mori-kun’s heart.” Mina still didn’t look up, but Haruhi saw a smile.

Honey came up to her and held her hand. “Nana-chan, I’m really glad that Takashi has you to look after.” A smile grew on his face. “You make the best sweets!” Mina finally looked up, the red in her face slowly disappearing.

“How sweet,” Tamaki said, standing next to Haruhi, “Hikari would have wanted to see this.”

Haruhi looked up at him, then at the club. _Yeah,_ she thought, _she would._ A sudden cough filled the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. Kyouya had stopped typing and rested his head on his hand.

“Can you guys please shut up?” he asked, “The plan's almost ready for tomorrow, but I can’t finish it with this chaos going on.”

Yumi stuck out her tongue and placed her hands behind her head. “Alright, Kyouya-kun, but just for the record, you’re not the only one worried about Hikari-chan.” Kyouya’s eyes widen for a moment, but with a quick adjustment of his glasses, the dark eyes remained onto the screen, re-reading all that he had written.

The club again fell silent and Haruhi picked up her mop before heading towards the ramen spill. Her eyes couldn’t help but wander on over to Hikaru, watching him staring back into the garden. However, the look in his eyes had changed. Instead of reliving a memory, they were burning with anger, almost as if ready to kill those that had ruined his relationship with Hikari.

_Hikari,_ Haruhi thought, _Hikaru really misses you. Please…please give him another chance…_

****

Hikari kept her focus on her balcony, her breathing steady and full. Her determination to leave was higher than ever. It didn't matter what they said, or what they agreed on, she was her own person, and she wasn't going to give in. Though Haruhi claims to have a plan, Hikari wondered if she understood what was at risk.

“What’s the matter, Niwazaki-san?” Hikari bit her lips together, continuing to glare out the window. His presence made her skin crawl, and his voice ground against her eardrums. “Aw, come on. You can’t be mad at me forever.” She heard him move her desk chair closer to her, the carpet muffling out the sound. He leaned towards her. “Now now, I’m here to try and make your journey a better one.” Like a snake, he extended an arm towards her, his fingers reaching out to touch her.

Hikari raised a curved arm, preventing him from getting any closer. With a twist of her shoulder, she slammed his wrist onto her headboard. “No you’re not," she said, "I know why you’re here." She added some pressure on his wrist and he winced. He pulled back his arm, as did she. "If you have the slightest bit of respect for me, you could at least stop pretending.”

Satoshi sighed and began to lean back in his chair. “I do respect you," he replied, "However, I can't because you won't respect your parent's and my decision."

“It's not your nor theirs to make.” She tore her eyes from the beautiful winter scenery onto her disgusting guard. "You're not going to have me. I won't let you.”

Satoshi began to chuckle. “See, that's where you’re wrong.” Hikari moved across her bed at the sight of him rising from his chair. “Your parents _offered_ you to me. They knew you would feel lonely if they took you out of school and hired the average tutor." He chuckled. "They wanted you to have someone who could teach you everything, and not only what's taught in school."

Hikari shook her head. “They've never bothered to ask my opinion on anything, particularly things related to me." She extended her spine and straighten herself. "So I will stop yielding to their demands. And my first act of rebellion will be denying you."

"Are you sure that's wise?" He asked, bring his hands together, and rubbing them as if rubbing in lotion, "You have no one coming to save you, no one to come fight for you. You're completely left alone with only me for company."

For the first time, Hikari pulled back a smile. Her heart pounded warm blood under her skin, bring forth the memory of her lucky charm. "I'm not alone. Not anymore."

Satoshi took a seat on the edge of her bed and reached for her hand. She snatched it away in time and he sighed. He looked at her as if she were naive. "They're not coming."

"Yes, they are," she stated. To her surprise, a giggle slipped between her lips. His eyes intensified and focused entirely onto her. "And there's absolutely nothing you or the can do about it."

Satoshi lunged for Hikari. She hopped off her bed and stood with her legs shoulder width apart. Her examination of her opponent made her move towards the foot of the bed, her feet gliding across the carpet. He threw himself at her again. She shifted her weight to one side and side stepped out of his way. His body teetered for a moment before his hands found the ground's and he pushed himself up. That crazy predator look retuned in his eyes and Hikari took a deep breath.

She had to last until the club's plan. They were trying their best and so must she.

Satoshi snatched her right ankle and tugged at it. The pain from the sprain heighten and crawled up her leg and she lost her footing. Her left leg tried to keep her steady, but due to her free-fall the previous night, it was still tender. It caved under her weight and she fell. Satoshi took to opportunity to fling himself on top of her and used his weight to pin her down.

"You're quite the feisty one," he complimented, pressing his knees onto her thighs. She held back her yelp, trying to push him off of her. But he had the upper hand. When she tried to shove him off, her grabbed her wrists and smacked them onto the floor. He smiled, allowing gravity to pull him down, and pressed his lips onto hers. His tongue forced through her lips and slithered down her throat. She coughed tightened her jaw to get him out, but he refused. He moved her arm to his knee and placed it under him before re-situating his grip around her neck. Her head was bent back, limiting her to fighting back.

Finally, he let up. He licked his lips, eyes not leaving Hikari's body. "You're mine, and I am going to have you, even if that means tying you down." His head lowered to her neck. She squirmed beneath him when she felt his slimy tongue touch her skin. He hummed with pleasure before getting off of her.

"I'm going to finalize some plans with Yuuji-san and Kira-san," he said, "I'll be back for some more afterwards." His eyes scanned her once more, nodding to himself. "Don't hesitate to make yourself more desirable." He turned on his heels, sighing in victory, and left her alone.

After a few steps, Hikari rolled onto her hands and knees and crawled to her door. She locked it with a quick turn of her wrist and then stretched herself out. Mixed feelings stirred in her stomach, and only the concerned ones rested in her heart. Would they really come? Could she keep Satoshi away from her long enough? Her fingers went to her lips. Her vision began to blur, and warm tears trickled down her face.

How long until he did get what he wanted?

Hikari shot up from the floor and shook her head. _No_ , she insisted, _I will not give in._ She took her tim getting herself back onto her feet again. They were still sore from the falls, but no twinge of pain would stop her from walking, running, jumping, moving. Her hand snatched the chair Satoshi had used and lifted it off the ground. She hobbled towards the bathroom.

The chair had to be fiddled with before Hikari got it in. It left scrapes in the doorway, but it was in. Hikari went back into her room and began to gather some personal things. A few pieces of clothing and some pens. She’d been gathering some paper throughout the house to write down her ideas. However, with Satoshi constantly watching her, she hadn’t had much time to free her thoughts.

She carried everything into the bathroom and closed the door, sliding the back of the chair beneath the knob. Hopefully it would be enough to keep Satoshi out. Even if it’s for a day. Since she left Ouran, he’d been watching her every move, giving her little to no privacy. No other plan had popped into her mind yet, and Haruhi wrote that they were on the way. For now, all she could do is wait.

And so she would…in the privacy of her own bathroom.

She turned on the faucets and plugged the tub. she could use a good soaking. She opened the cabinet under the sink and pulled out some bath soap. When her fingers touched it, they felt a strange material. Quickly, she withdrew the soap and reached back in to grab the fabric. Under the bathroom light the fabric was revealed to be a light blue.

_That’s right_ , she thought, pulling out the Ouran jacket. The school crest felt familiar to her finger tips as she traced the lines and symbols. She still wasn’t entirely sure how she got it, but she honestly didn’t care. The club was coming to help her, whether Hikaru joined or not.

Hikari closed her eyes. Old memories filled her mind, from the first time Hikaru had snuck into her room to the two of them dancing through the cherry blossom at the Cinderella Ball. Since then, Hikaru was by her side, asking if she was alright and always joking around about creeping into her bed. She knew he would never do that to her. He’s not that kind of guy.

_I guess that’s part of Hikaru’s charm_ , Hikari thought, stripping off her clothes and turning off the water. She opened the soap box and poured some of it it. When her hand touched it, it tingled with the warm sensation. Soap and water mixed together and created some bubbles for her to hide in. She carefully stepped in, securing each footing before moving and lowering herself into the deep tub. An exhale relaxed her body as she sunk into the steaming water.

The memories of her old beau washed away. But her worries and questions held onto her heart like leeches.

_I wonder if he misses me_.

****

“Hikaru!” Kaoru called, running through his house. When he hit the living room, he saw Hikaru on the couch playing on his Nintendo DS lite. “Hikaru, Kyouya-senapi just e-mailed the plans for tomorrow. I printed some copies to have on hand.”

Hikaru closed his game and headed towards Kaoru “Thanks.” He took the sheet Kaoru handed him and looked it over:

PLAN: Operation “Kidnap my Daughter and Bring her to Safety”

Phase 1: Natasha: Drive the Niwazaki’s to the airport; take careful notes on what they’re talking about involving Hikari. Nothing else matters. Once you drop them off, stand by the car. I will be right behind you with everyone else in my car, ready for phase 2

Phase 2:  Mina and Hana: You two will stay near me and Natasha to keep and eye on the kidnap near the entrance and exit of the airport. Many guards might be stationed there…

Hikaru skimmed through the rest of the plans until he reached his name with Kaoru’s and Yumi’s:

Phase 5:  Hikaru, Kaoru, and Yumi: Once Hikari has reached her gate, it is necessary to have a distraction. Yumi will have to get in line in front of them, and stall them (I suggest trying to find your boarding pass ticket, or something). Hikari should recognize Yumi in front of her and will start looking around for the twins. Kaoru, please keep your brother on a leash, especially since he’ll be tempted to kill Satoshi. Don’t worry, Hikaru, you’ll get your chance. Just not now! Once people start to complain, Kaoru enters and intends to pull Yumi out of line, but accidentally grabs Hikari instead, throwing her towards Hikaru. Once you’ve got her…run!

Hikaru read the rest of the plan, not feeling confident at all. Had Kyouya given this any thought? Did he even care?

Kaoru read his brother’s thoughts and sighed. “You know, Hikaru, it seems like a decent plan.”

Hikaru shook his head and sat back on the bed, reading his role over and over again. “It sounds so ridiculous. There’re too many flaws and we’re running out of time.”

“Hikaru, there’re always going to be flaws in plans. Take a look at last year: We were chasing Tono on a horse drawn carriage and Haruhi was able to catch up with him and bring him back.”

“That was luck,” Hikaru replied, throwing the paper on the floor and jumping onto his feet. He then began to pace about the room.

Kaoru watched as Hikaru continued to walk from wall to wall, feeling anxious himself about the plan. He reached out to his brother to stop him. “Okay, Hikaru. What’s up. Something else beside the plan is on your mind.”

Hikaru looked away from his brother and stared at the floor. “Remember when you set me and Haruhi up on that date?” Kaoru thought for a moment before nodding. “Well…do you remember the advice that you gave?”

“Yeah, voice your feelings because the other person won’t know unless you tell them.”

“Well, I haven’t done that yet to anyone, not even Haruhi.” Hikaru rested his head on Kaoru’s shoulder. “What if she doesn’t even wanna come back to me?” Kaoru couldn’t help but laugh, causing Hikaru to blush and get angry. “What’s so funny?”

“It’s nothing, it’s just that…” Kaoru stopped laughing and placed a hand on Hikaru’s shoulder. “…You’re an idiot if you think Hikari wouldn’t wanna come back. Haruhi said so herself that Hikari wants out, and she told you to run when you got caught. I think you’re over-analyzing it, like our Tono.”

Hikaru lowered his head, trying to hide his smile from Kaoru. “I guess.” He shook his head. “But once I get a chance to, I will kill that Satoshi kid and-”

“-And that’s why I’m to hold you down, according to Kyouya’s plan,” Kaoru interrupted, “You’ve gotta remain calm through this. We’ve got people to watch out for until she reaches our station. She’ll be fine.”

“I know once she’s with me, she’ll be fine,” Hikaru corrected, “But what about now? Is she okay? Are they hurting her more? Is that guy—” Both Hikaru and Kaoru’s cell phones went off. They both rang the same, catchy ringtone that Tamaki had set the previous year. The two rummaged through their pockets and answered it.

“Hi Tono,” Kaoru said first, “What’s the-”

“ _MY WIFE! MY WIFE IS MISSING!”_ Tamaki screamed, causing Hikaru and Kaoru to pull the phone away from both of their ears.“WE'VE _GOTTA SEND ANOTHER SEARCH PARTY! WE’VE GOTTA-”_

“Tono, calm down,” Kaoru said, “She’s probably just out shopping.”

“ _She’s not, though_ ,” Kyouya said over the phone, “ _I called Ranka-san and he said that Haruhi hasn’t returned home from school_.”

“ _This isn’t like Haru-chan_ ,” Honey added.

“ _Ah_.”

“Tono,” Hikaru said through his teeth, trying to hide his annoyance, “did you try calling her cell?”

“ _I DID!_ ” Tamaki answered, “ _but it went straight to voice mail. That means she’s missing!_ ”

No one knew what to say that would calm Tamaki down. Hikaru did his best to try and keep his mouth shut, gripping onto a chair as if he was holding on for dear life. Kaoru moved the phone away from his mouth and said, “Hikaru, calm down. You’re gonna hurt yourself.” Hikaru shook his head.

“ _You know_ ,” Kyouya interrupted, silencing the babbling Tamaki, “ _I remembered seeing her head in a different direction for her way home_.”

“ _Really?_ ” Honey asked, amused by what he heard, “ _But Haru-chan wouldn’t go another way home unless she was visiting one of us_.”

“ _KYOUYA!_ ” Tamaki screamed, “ _Which direction did she go?_ ”

“ _She went into the direction of where the twins are, Natasha’s house, Hikari’s-_ ”

“That’s it!” Kaoru shouted, “Haruhi went over to Hikari’s house.”

“Kaoru, are you sure?” Hikaru asked.

“I’m positive. She wouldn’t come here or to Natasha’s. Kyouya-senapi, did you give her a copy of the plan before she left?”

“ _Well, since she doesn’t use nor own a computer, I had to give her a copy before she left._ ”

“Kaoru,” Hikaru began cautiously, “are you saying that-”

“ _Haruhi’s going to tell Hikari the plan._ ” Mori finished.

“ _WHAT? ARE YOU INDICATING THAT MY WIFE IS TRYING TO SAVE OUR DAUGHTER ON HER OWN?! IS SHE TRYING TO GET HERSELF KILLED?!_ ” As Tamaki continued to vent, Hikaru took the phone away from his ear and ran his fingers through his hair.

“Hikari…” He paused, looking up at the ceiling of his room, “I wonder, though…” His eyes caught Kaoru’s. “After all of this, will she listen to what I have to say to her?” Kaoru placed the phone on a table near him and placed his hand on his brother’s shoulder.

“I’m sure Hikari would be more than happy to listen.

****

The banging on the door woke Hikari. It thumped loudly, shaking the door and chair. But it didn’t budge.

“Open the damn door!” Satoshi shouted, banging and banging some more.

Hikari released a yawn that filled up the entire bathroom. As she rubbed her eyes, she looked down at her fuzzy bathmat. Some of her wiring notes had absorbed the water from her hair. She sighed. Her heart spilled onto those pages, and now she’d washed them away within her sleep.

The pounding continued. “You’ve been in there all day!” he screamed, “Get out here now!”

“Nope,” Hikari said while stretching her back. She felt a little stiff napping on towels and bathmats. However, this was the first peaceful sleep she’d had in a while. It was needed. “No one said that I wasn’t allowed to take a bath.”

“No human bathes for over six hours! Don’t normal girls hate to be in water for too long?”

Hikaru stuck out her tongue. “Who said I was normal?” Hikari heard Satoshi growling on the other side. “Besides,” she added, “I enjoy this time alone. It makes my captivity more enjoyable than with your company around.” There was a pause. “So,” Hikari continued, “I’m not leaving this room until I’m promised some privacy of my own in my own room.”

“Only under the condition that I can have you whenever I want, and you can’t fight back.”

“Then it looks like I’ll be in here forever then.” Hikari heard Satoshi swearing on the other side, complaining and saying things that she couldn’t hear.

Then, an idea popped into her head. She cleared her throat and spoke. “You know, if what you say is true, and no one’s coming to rescue me, then why can’t you give me a little bit of privacy.” Her eyes fell onto the Ouran jacket. “According to you, I have no one. So…can’t you just leave me alone?” It was a gamble, expressing true feelings like this to him. But Hikari wondered if he would grant her her wish _assuming_ she truly believed she had no one.

“Alright,” he said, “You can have your privacy.” Hikari smiled widely in the bathroom, raising her arms high and punching the air.

_Yes!_

Then she heard him laugh. “Soon, you won’t have much privacy left.”

Hikari’s win instantly vanished. “What are you taking about?” she asked, trying her best to sound as if she didn’t care.

Something moved across the door, like a hand stroking something. “I see that now I’ve got your attention,” he said. Hikari silently sat up straight and listened. “Then enjoy your precious privacy, Hikari-san. Once we’re out of this house, you will never be alone again.” Hikari felt her heart freeze. She heard the sound of her bedroom door slam shut, followed by silence.

“Leaving this house?” she repeated, “What does he mean by that?”

A sudden knocking caused Hikari to smack her hand against her mouth. A familiar voice called out to her through the other end.

“Hikari! Are you okay? Please don’t do anything stupid!”

_Haruhi?_ Hikari reached for the chair to move, but froze. Was this a trick? After all, Satoshi would do anything to get her out. If Kamiko could convince Hikaru to choose another, then she could trick her too. The knocking continued and Haruhi’s voice echoed on the other side. Hikaru pressed herself against the bathroom sink. She didn’t want to risk anything.

“Come on, Hikari, please open up.” Hikari refused to speak. Eventually, the Haruhi beyond the door stopped knocking. There was a pause before she spoke again. “Okay…I get it…but I just want you to know that Senpai and Kyouya-senapi are planning something to get you out of here. They printed me out a copy and I re-wrote it on a separate sheet of paper for you.” There was another pause with crinkling sounds before something slide through the bottom crack of the door. Hikaru didn’t touch it. “Stay strong, Hikari. Survive one more day, and you’ll be free.” She patted the bathroom door. “I’ll see you tomorrow.”

Hikari listened to her footsteps fade as they tapped against the stone of her balcony. When silence settled around her, she slowly crouched down and picked up the folded paper. _A plan?_ She unfolded it and scanned it over. The handwriting resembled Haruhi’s, and the plan seemed well thought out with a hint of crazy; a true masterpiece from Tamaki and Kyouya.

“Is this really the plan though?” she wondered, questioning the handwriting still. “So maybe it is. But then again…” Hikari turned and faced the sink, tossing the plan to a dry side of the counter. “…what if this is a trick from Satoshi’s sister?” Hikari thought about it for a minute

_Well, I guess the only thing I can do is see if this plan works tomorrow._

****

Haruhi stood awkwardly at her door and rummaged through her bag. “I was really hoping to talk with Hikari in person, but I don’t blame her for hiding. With all that’s been going on, she’s got no one to trust for a while…Oh, there they are.” Haruhi pulled out her keys and sighed. “I really wonder if Senpai’s plan will work.”

She was about to place the key through the lock when the door burst open, allowing something to crash and fall on top her.

“There you are, Haruhi-chan!”

“Dad?” Haruhi asked, surprised by her father’s attack, “I didn’t think that you’d be home this early.”

Ranka released his daughter, happy to see her home. “Well, I got a call from that annoying Tamaki and he said that you went off to see Hikari alone. I’ve heard dreadful stories about where she is that it got me worried.”

“You don’t have to worry about me, dad, I’m fine.”

Ranka smiled and hugged Haruhi again. “Just promise me that when you do this ‘Save Hikari’ mission, you come back in one piece, okay?” Haruhi smiled to herself and hugged her father back.

_That’s right_ , she thought, _We’re gonna save Hikari no matter what!_

****

There was a loud banging on the bathroom door that woke Hikari up. She was in her bathrobe, sleeping well once again on the bathroom floor. The knocking continued, louder and angrier than when it woke her.

“Niwazaki-san,” said the dreadful voice through the door, “You’re needed by your parents in their office chamber.”

Hikari slowly lifted herself and rubbed her eyes. Everything seemed groggy and fuzzy to her. The banging continued until she screamed, “Alright!” the knocking suddenly stopped.

Some chuckles slipped through the door. “Looks like you’re finally giving into my ways.”

“Shut up and leave me to find my clothes.”

She waited until his footsteps had gone before opening her bathroom door for the first time in a day.

Today was _the_ day. She needed to be ready. After studying the plan all night, she was prepared for whatever the club would throw at her, and she was ready to fight back.

Hikari grabbed some jeans and T-shirt, and for good luck threw on the rose-spice-smelling Ouran jacket. Her lucky charm of the blue rose and Haruhi’s message rested comfortably in the inside pocket. She pressed her hand against it. Deep in her heart, she knew she would win.

With confidence now burning inside of her, she exited her room and walked down the hallway. The office door was open, and Hikari saw Yuuji sitting at his desk, his fingers laced together and covering his mouth. As she got closer, she began to see Kira on the right and Satoshi on the left, who offered her a chilling smile that sent a chill down her spine. Something didn’t seem right.

“Satoshi,” Yuuji said the moment she entered, “The door please.” Satoshi walked towards the door and closed them, locking out Hikari’s exit.

****

Haruhi sat in Tamaki’s bedroom along with the rest of the host club and ladies. Yumi sat down next to her, the plan folded tightly in her hands. Tamaki’s room was huge and definitely fit for a Host king like him. Kaoru sat with Hikaru who remained lost in thought like usual. When Kaoru noticed Haruhi staring he smiled.

“He’s been like this since this morning,” he explained.

“I don’t blame him,” Yumi added, “We’re all so worried. With the clock ticking for the plane to leave, there’re bound to be mistakes.”

“There won’t be mistakes if everyone just follows the plan,” Kyouya replied. Yumi bit her lips together, trying to contain her shouts of anger.

“Calm down, my children,” Tamaki announced, “My daughter will be back in my arms in no time. I believe in this plan.”

Haruhi sighed. _That’s good. At least someone does._

“Where’s Natasha-san?” Mina asked Kyouya, trying to change the subject.

“She went to confirm the departure information. She’ll then report back here and then get to her post at the Niwazaki’s.”

“Hopefully that’ll be soon,” Hana-chan said, “She’s never one to be tardy.”

“That’s true,” Mina replied in a worried tone, “You don’t think she got caught, right?”

“Not likely,” Mori answered. Mina looked up at him and sighed.

“Tasha-chan will be alright,” Honey stated with confidence, “She’s a good detective spy!”

However, time began to fly by and there was no word from Natasha. Haruhi’s insides began to turn, wondering if something horrible had happened. Eventually, five o’clock tolled in Tamaki’s room.

“Kyouya,” Tamaki began, “You might want to call her. We’re suppose to be getting ready to go.” With a nod, Kyouya began to call Natasha. After a long pause of silence, he hung up.

“Something’s not right,” he shared. Quickly, he punched in a different number; the wait for the receiver to pick up wasn’t long. “Ito-san? It’s Kyouya.”

“ _Ootori-san!”_ Ito said on the other end, “ _Oh I’m so glad you called. Everything completely changed.”_

“What do you mean?”

“ _Meaning the whole flight information. It’s all wrong._ ” Kyouya’s jaw tightened as Ito continued. “ _Satoshi-kun changed the flights right after you all left. He thought that since the Mr. and Mrs. had given you the correct information, you’d go after Hikari-san._ ”

“Are they still taking one of their private jets?”

“ _No, the company couldn’t make the proper changes. They’re flying commercial._ ”

“That changes things a bit.”

“ _But that’s not all. They’re heading over to the airport right now. They left not too long ago._ ”

“What about Natasha?” Kyouya asked, “She didn’t pick up her phone.”

“ _She couldn’t,_ ” Ito answered, “ _When she confirming everything, she was called in early to prepare the car. Satoshi kept an eye on her the whole time, telling her the fastest route guidance and giving her no time to investigate any further._ ”

“Thank you, Ito-san.”

“ _Ootori-san._ ” There was a pause. “ _Please bring her back._ ”

Kyouya hung up the phone and just stared at it, not knowing what to say.

“What happened?” Yumi pestered, “Is she okay? Did they do anything to her?”

He looked up from his phone. “I’ll explain in the car.” He looked at Tamaki. “We need your largest and fastest car.” Without question, Tamaki went to his phone and got a car to carry them to the airport.

“Kyouya-senpai,” Hikaru said, speaking for the first time, “Is Hikari okay?” Kyouya shook his head. He refused to say anything until they were all out of the mansion and in the car. Once it started moving, Kyouya began to explain what Ito had told him on the phone. Hikaru’s fists tightened and Haruhi felt all hope slipping away from her.

_There’s gotta be something!_

 


	24. The Host Club Takes Matters in Their Own Hands.

Hikari stared out of the window of the limo, feeling numb. She couldn’t get the conversation out of her head.

****

“You called?” Hikari asked, entering the room with her head held high.

Yuuji rose from his seat and turned his back towards her. “I’ve heard everything. I heard that you’ve been lying to us this whole time about where you’ve been after school. Honestly, disguising yourself as a boy to be in an outrageous club that pleases girls in the most ridiculous ways ever.” Hikari didn’t react. She kept a simple look on her face to give nothing away as he continued.

“I’ve also discovered something else.” Yuuji turned around and opened the top draw of his desk. “It completely embarrassed me and your mother when we saw them.” Yuuji pulled out packets and packets of paper. Hikari took a deep breath once she recognized them. “You joined this club to continue writing ridiculous stories about fairies, dragons, magicians, knights—god, must I continue?” Hikari pulled her hands within the sleeve of her jacket and clenched them into a fist, hiding her anger.

“We told you that you were never to write again!” Yuuji’s voice began to raise in volume, surprising Hikari a little. “Writing is no way to be recognized by society. Do you know how embarrassing it is for us?” Hikari’s anger began to overwhelm within her body to a point where she was shaking with anger and fury. She tried to breathe, like Mori-senpai and Honey-senpai had taught her.

“So we’re going to knock this writing right out of you, no matter what it takes.” Hikari watched Yuuji taking her stories for the club towards the fire place. Her eyes began to grow in fear as she watched him pour them into the flames. Without hesitation, Hikari ran towards the fireplace, rolling up her sleeves, and began to dig the stories out of the hungry flames. They nipped at her skin as she swiftly began to pull paper out piece by piece.

Suddenly, Satoshi held her back as she watched Yuuji kicking her saving bits back into the fire. Her heart began to burn with the stories, reliving the memory of when she was in the burning theater six year ago. _My parents saved me and ordered me to fulfill my dream_ , she thought to herself, hiding back her tears, _I’m not going to let their honor burn with these stories._ Hikari fought free and broke away from Satoshi’s grip. She rose to her feet and turned to face them.

It was all or nothing now.

Hikari took a steady breath. “You’re telling me writing is no way to be recognized by _society_?”

“Of course. It’s just not-”

“SHUT THE HELL UP!” Hikari screamed, slamming her burnt hands on the desk. They were red and raw and sent a stinging pain up her arm. She looked around Yuuji’s office and pointed at a shelf. “Who do you think wrote those, Yuuji? Writers.”

“Nonsense, they were-”

“How about those novels you read in school?” Hikari asked, “Who wrote those classic canons for kids to expand their knowledge about the world they live in?”

“But those don’t have-”

“Who writes the stories about hope and faith; about dangers and adventures that inspire people? Or the fairytales that little children hear that motivate them to find their own path in the world?” Finally, Yuuji sat down in his chair. “Writers,” Hikari answered, pointing at his books, “Without them, life would have no meaning. Life without any art, music, or lyrical sentences is meaningless…And that is the life you and Kira have been living in.”

Kira stepped away from her post. “You should not talk to your father like that,” she said, reaching for Hikari’s shoulder.

The moment she felt it, Hikari slapped Kira’s hand away and stepped aside. “Let me perfectly clear: He’s not my father!” She let her voice go. “And you’re not my mother! You are not parents, but power hungry people that deserves to burn in that fire instead of my stories; instead of my birth parents.”

“Why you little-”Kira raised her hand and brought it down fast.

Hikari raised her wrist and blocked it. “I have the privilege to live with beautiful words and the honor to have the gift to create my own so that people of all ages can read them and feel hopeful about the yet to come.” Kira pulled her hand back and tried again, but Hikari blocked it.

“You, Yuuji, and Satoshi will never experience that pleasure, and that’s what makes you so small, weak, and powerless.” Satoshi’s arms wrapped around Hikari’s shoulder, hooking his am beneath hers. She tugged and tried to break free, but his grip was too good. Kira’s had flew across Hikari’s face, this time making contact. The slap rang in Hikari’s ears and the tingling pain peppered the side of her face.

Kira let out a satisfying sigh. “Thank god you’re being sent to an American boarding school” A triumphant smile coiled in the corner of her mouth. “A school that will teach you how to behave like a proper lady in this type of society.”

“Good luck with that,” Hikari spat with a laugh behind it, “There’s no way you’re getting me out of Japan.”

“We don’t need luck,” Yuuji replied. He looked on over at Satoshi and flicked his hand. “Lock her up until we leave for the airport.” Satoshi pulled Hikari back, dragging her out of the office and down the hall. She tried her best to get on her feet and walk, but Satoshi’s grip refused to allow her any free movement.

When he got to her room, he threw her in. She caught herself before falling on the floor. “Luckily,” Satoshi began, “Once we’re on that plane, you’ll have no one to turn to. No people to help you. No club. No friends. No boyfriend. No one who cares enough to rescue you.” He treached for the doorknob and closed it shut.

Hikari couldn’t take in all in. She curled up into a fetal position, her emotions rising in her throat, and tried to wrap the jacket over her knees. They could barely be wrapped, but Hikari held onto them as tightly as she could. Her emotions stung her eyes, and the tears began to race down.

****

Hikari tightly held onto Hikaru’s jacket. She wasn’t sure if the club was aware of her departure, but regardless she was determined to run. Her mind began to think of possibilities.

 _Yuuji and Kira had set up guards to escort us through until we board the plane. I’m going to have to figure out a way to dodge them while running towards the exit. Then I can go towards a police station and…_ Hikari looked over in the rear-view mirror. _I know Natasha’s going to still be here. She’ll wait for me. Maybe she’s in on the plan that the club had made, that is…if there still is one._ Hikari did the best she could to keep her hopes up, but as the airport drew closer, Hikari began to feel that her fate was set.

****

While gripping to the side of the door for dear life, Haruhi stared ahead. Traffic was bad, and it seemed they were hitting every red light they passed. She pinched her lips together. _Hikari, we're coming._

“Tono, can’t this thing go any faster?” Hikaru asked, annoyed that time was against them.

“We’re trying,” Tamaki answered, “There's only so much we can do in traffic when driving a limo. But fear not! We'll make it and save Hikari.” Haruhi looked away from the window and at Tamaki, amazed that for the first time, he wasn’t exaggerating the way he normally did.

“Kyouya-san,” Mina inquired, “What’s the plan now?”

"I don't know, at the moment,” Kyouya admitted, adjusting his glasses, “That plan was precisely for the previous flight. I'll need a second to think of something new..."”

“This isn’t good,” Yumi said aloud, “What’re we gonna do?”

Haruhi switched stares from the window to Tamaki. _There’s gotta be something we can do. Hikari’s headed towards the airport, so we’ve gotta try to sneak through past security. With Kyouya-senpai’s and Tamaki-senpai’s powerful families, they might be able to get through. But wait a second…Last year…_ Haruhi continued to try and construct a plan while Yumi began to get into an argument with everyone in the car, particularly Kyouya. Finally, Kaoru had to step in. He held her tightly and whispered that things would be alright. However, Haruhi could sense that Kaoru wasn’t believing his own words.

“Five thirty,” Hikaru growled. He ran his fingers through his hair, biting his lips together.

“We’ll make it, Hikaru,” Haruhi said aloud, grabbing everyone’s attention, “We’re going to save Hikari, I’m sure of it.”

“How are you so sure, Haru-chan?” Honey asked, trying not to get his hopes up.

“Simple. I was thinking about how last year, when Senpai was leaving for France, there were six of us chasing him. As we got closer to him, many of us had to stay behind in order for the rest to continue forward.”

"What're you saying,"Kyouya asked.

"We've got double the people as last year. At least one of us will get to Hikari before she boards. I'm sure of it."

Kyouya hummed in thought, tapping at his phone for a minute. He then nodded. “That actually might work. If done in an orderly fashion and with the right connections…” Kyouya lifted his phone slightly before pressing it against his ear. “This is Kyouya. Send the best of our police system to the airport immediately. Block off all gates if possible. This is an emergency.” He hung up that call and made another.

Haruhi listened to him as he received the new flight information. He wrote it down in his notebook and then hung up. She wanted to ask him what it was, but he already was dialing a new number, and returned the phone to his ear. He didn’t speak for a while. He twisted his waist and almost lowered his arm when a voice caught his attention.

"Natasha!"

Everyone in the car leaned towards Kyouya, hoping to hear bits of the conversation. Haruhi and Yumi pressed into one another as the Vice President listened.

“Has the other plane landed yet?” He finally asked.

“ _It has. You’ve gotta hurry. I want to go in myself, but Their guards won't let me through._ ”

“We’re almost there, and my police force is on the way,” Kyouya assured, “However, we could use something to stall them."

“ _Got it._ ”

Kyouya hung up and looked behind him. Haruhi followed his glance. The airport was in sight! A wave a relief swept over her as she rethought her plan.

Tamaki placed a concerning hand on Kyouya's shoulder. “Is everything alright?”

“Natasha’s going in to stall them. They’re waiting to get through security, so we need to be fast.” Kyouya's mind was producing a new plan on the spot, and everyone impatiently waited.

Haruhi stared out the window, thinking of her own plan. The others could stall the guards if they wanted, but time was flying by, and she needed to act. Her eyes wondered over Hikaru who stared out the window, fists tight together and his eyes full of hatred.

 _He shouldn’t beat himself over this now,_ Haruhi thought to herself, _It’s not going to help Hikari_.

“Haruhi-chan,” Yumi called. Haruhi blinked a few times and shook her head, forgetting that others were in the car. “Are you listening?”

“I am,” Haruhi lied, “Let’s just get there.” A few more minutes passed until they were in the departure area. It was crowded and full of travelers dying to get to their destination. Before the car came to a complete stop, the doors opened and everyone stumbled out.

As they huddled together to discuss the next step, Hikaru bolted inside.

“Hikaru!” Tamaki called, “You’re not suppose to yet!”

“I saw her!” he shouted back, “She’s close!”

“This isn’t good,” Kaoru muttered, “If he just waltzes in, we’re gonna get busted.” He looked at Yumi. “Let’s go after him.” With a nod, the two ran after Hikaru.

Kyouya's smacked his forehead. “This isn’t going to end well.”

Haruhi’s lips tightened with anger as she faced the rest of the club. “It will, Kyouya-senpai. Listen instead of thinking of a concrete plan, why not spread out around the airport and cover some ground. We have phones to keep in touch. Whether there's trouble or Hikari's found, we can alert one another."

“Haruhi,” Tamaki began, but Haruhi wouldn’t hear it. She faced the airport and sprinted forward. She heard Tamaki call after her, but she wouldn't listen.

****

A line of guards was between her and the Niwazaki couple. Satoshi held onto her arm tightly. Through her efforts, she couldn't weaken his grip. Her raw hands were wrapped, but the pain still throbbed, mocking her about her future. However, she ignored it and was lost in thought.

 _I’ve tried everything: Saying I’m being kidnapped, abused, tortured, anything that sounded like slowing down this process. But no one's listening. Why?_ Hikari looked around. _I wonder if they’re even going to come._

“Hikari!” Hikari turned around and saw Natasha running towards her, her blonde hair flowing right behind her. A smile grew on Hikari’s face and she tried to break Satoshi’s grip. Kira and Yuuji stopped walking and looked at the commotion.

“Who’s that?” Kira asked, “She looks familiar.”

“Let her go!" Natasha yelled as she got closer, "I’m her guardian!” The guards began to block her path towards Hikari as Satoshi pulled her farther away. Hikari yanked against him until she had no choice but to pull his hand towards her mouth and she bit him as hard as she could.

“Holy shit!” Satoshi screamed, pulling his hand back. Hikari quickly sprinted through the guards, dodging them as best as she could. She could see Natasha and ran faster.

Another hand snatched her wrist, pulling her back and sending sharp pains in through her whole arm. “You have no relation with my daughter,” Yuuji announced, pulling Hikari so hard that she stumbled towards him. “Guards, take this woman away.” Hikari began to fight against Yuuji’s painful grip, ready to bit him, but when she was about to, he smacked her head until she pulled away.

“She’s not your daughter!” Natasha screamed as the guards held her down.

“Let her go!” Hikari cried, “Or else the Ootori group is going to ruin you for sure.” Yuuji looked down at her, not believing one word of it.

“What a brat,” Satoshi said, “These are all lies.” He nodded to Natasha. “That’s no Ootori representative. That’s the driver that drove Hikari to school.” The Niwazaki’s gasped. “She’s been in conspiracy with the Host Club to take Hikari for herself.” Yuuji’s eyes began to burn with hatred towards both Hikari and Natasha and told the guard to throw her out of the airport. Hikari struggled to free herself. Her eyes watched in horror as Natasha was taken away. She didn't know what was worst, seeing her hope be dragged away, or seeing her doom approaching?

[However…]

Kyouya waited by the entrance, looking at his phone and waiting for any call. Suddenly, he heard someone call his name. When he looked up, he saw Natasha being rudely escorted out by what he guessed were the Niwazakis' guards.

“Gentlemen,” Kyouya said, stepping in their way, “What purpose do you have with my girlfriend?

“We're to throw her out of the airport, under the orders of Niwazaki Yuuji,” one of the guards holding Natasha answered. Kyouya crossed his arms and smiled.

“Well, as a member of the Ootori family and knowing the Niwazais and their secret plans, I suggest you leave the woman your holding alone, or else…” A sudden sound of sirens filled the outside air and Kyouya chuckled. Police officers from his group burst through the doors, backing him up.

“Kyouya-sama,” one of them began to say, but Kyouya raised his hand.

“Natasha, which gate?”

“Gate eight at Terminal A” Kyouya looked at his guards and gave a nod. The soldiers saluted and headed towards the terminal. The Niwazaki guards began to panic before deciding to chase after them, dropping Natasha.

“Man, they could have been-” but she was interrupted by Kyouya’s lips. He held onto her tightly and when he pulled his lips away, he whispered, “I did everything I could. It’s now up to the rest of the host club.”

****

Hikaru ran through security with guards chasing after him. _I’d rather be arrested knowing Hikari’s still in Japan than have her locked away_. His motivation began to move him faster, leaving the security guards behind him. However, once he reached the gates, he stopped.

“Damn it,” He panted, leaning with his hands on his knees, “Which gate is she at?” He was about to look at the first gate when something grabbed his waist. Hikaru began to pulled against the restraint when the person behind spoke.

“Hikaru, you idiot!” Pausing in his struggle, Hikaru looked behind and saw Kaoru and Yumi. Kaoru's hold was firm. “What the hell were you thinking trying to do this on your own? You’re going to get arrested if you freak out like that.”

“What gate is she at, Kaoru?” Hikaru asked.

Kaoru shook his head. “I don’t know. None of us do. We don’t know if this is even the right terminal.”

“But with three of us, we can look here and see if she’s in any of the waiting areas,” Yumi suggested.

Hikaru was about to sprint towards the first one when a body got in his way. “Where do you think you’re going?” it asked. When Hikaru looked up, he saw a Niwazaki guard cracking his knuckles. As Hikaru got up, he felt Yumi’s and Kaoru’s backs.

“We’re totally surrounded,” Yumi hissed through her teeth.

“Well,” Kaoru breathed, “What do we do?”

“We try to get past them and find Hikari,” Hikaru answered, and he sprinted forward, knocking over the guard in his way.

****

Haruhi quietly hid in the ladies room, waiting for the Terminal A security guards to give up on her. _They’re never gonna leave, are they_? Haruhi feared.

Through one of their walkie-talkies, she heard of some trouble in Terminal C involving some teenagers. The guards nodded to one another and headed towards the new problem.

Haruhi left the bathroom and sighed. “Sounds like us. Perfect." With a deep breath, she headed towards the gates and quickly scanned them all, hoping to find Hikari. By the time she reached gate five, Haruhi looked around her.

“So far, three of these are going to different parts of America and none have Hikari. I hope I’m not too late.” The thought of losing Hikari made Haruhi shudder. _That won’t happen_ , she kept telling herself as she continued to search the other gates. Once she reached the eighth gate, she noticed it was boarding.

“Oh god!” While trying to get through the crowd, pushing and shoving to try and get to the front, Haruhi saw a Niwazai guard. With hope burning in her chest she pushed through everyone and saw Hikari, wearing a jacket that was too big for her. Her ticket was being checked as Satoshi led her onto the plane.

_No!_

“HIKARI!”

****

Hikari watched as each ticket beeped through the machine, allowing them access to the plane heading straight for hell. Unfortunately, once the tickets were done being checked through, Satoshi began to drag her onto the walkway.

 _It’s over…_ Hikari thought as she felt a tear run down her cheek.

“HIKARI!”

Hikari turned around and saw a girl push through the crowd of people, her short hair swaying side to side as she stumbled towards the front.

“Haruhi,” Hikari muttered.

“Come on!” Yuuji said, pushing Hikari while Satoshi pulled.

Hikari stumbled, her eyes remaining on Haruhi’s, which soon fell onto hers. Haruhi smiled, filling Hikari's heart with a strength. A smile spread across her lips as she stomped on Satoshi's foot and dodged around Yuuji's pushy hands. Guards began to block her path, but she swiftly ducked and moved, stepping out of the way of grabbing hands. She elbowed one of them, round-kicked another, and threw over a third. She continued on through until Satoshi cut through her path.

“Oh no you don’t!” Hikari shouted. With the palm of her hand, she hit Satoshi’s nose with all of strength, causing him to pass out and allowing her to run through. She ran towards Haruhi and crashed into her, causing both of them to fall over. Hikari’s arms wrapped around her neck as tears began to fall one after another.

“You came,” she said in sobs, “You came.”

Haruhi hugged her back and Hikari felt a few wet drops fall onto her neck. “I told you that we’d come for you.”

Hikari pulled back and saw tears coming out of Haruhi’s big brown eyes. She laughed as people continued to walk pass them to board her plane to doom. With the back of her hand, she wiped the tears away.

Haruhi gasped. “What did you do?!” She snatched Hikari’s hand and carefully examined it. He shook her head. “First you run down stairs and sprain your anke, then you jump off your balcony, now your hands, HIKARI!”

Hikari pulled out her other hand, revealing the other bandage and shyly smiled. “Yuuji burnt all of my stories for the club. They were new ones for the girls when I returned. I don’t have any copies and I was so mad that I refused to see them go. I’m sorry.”

Haruhi let Hikari’s hands go. “One problem at a time. Let’s get out of here, and maybe Kyouya can have one of his doctors look at these.”

“You don’t have to tell me twice,” Hikari replied as the two began to run towards the exit. Hikari felt her blood pump with electric sparks of hope as her heart rebooted her energy at an incredible speed. She was back with Haruhi and she was not going to be shipped off to America. That was all that mattered. With her friend by her side, she truly will be unstopable.

Once they reached security, Hikari recognized a blonde boy jumping up and down as if looking for someone. She had to laugh.

“Should I?” she asked.

Haruhi didn’t understand what she meant. When she noticed the jumping boy she nodded.“He’d like that.”

Hikari took a deep breath. “DADDY TAMAKI-SENPAI!”

The blonde boy froze for second and shoved everyone aside. His purple eyes filled with stars as he watched Hikari and Haruhi running towards him.

“MY DAUGHTER! MY WIFE!” he called. As they were through the exit, Tamaki grabbed Hikari and spun her around in circles.

“Oh my daughter, I knew that we’d save you!”

Hikaru wrapped her arms around Tamaki and gave him a squeeze. “I’m glad that you did.”

“We should get out now,” Haruhi interrupted, grabbing Tamaki’s attention.

He extended an arm towards Haruhi and embraced her along with Hikari. “My two favorite girls, together once again. I could cry.” Hikari sighed and glanced at Haruhi.

Behind her, she noticed a guard quietly approaching them, ready to strike. Hikari began to struggle against Tamaki. “Tamaki-senpai, look out!”

Tamaki looked around him and the guard charged. Hikari tried to break away and managed to do so when Tamaki got distracted. She positioned herself to strike back when she noticed the guard already on the floor.

“What the…” Suddenly, another guard flew on by. Hikari then heard another sound of fighting occurring behind her. She turned around and recognized Honey fighting off the Niwazaki guards, jumping from one to another and not slowing down.

 _So then the guard that was thrown earlier was from…_ Hikari looked behind Tamaki and saw Mori-senpai finishing off the last guard. Next to him was Mina who stared at amazement at the work Mori had done.

“Takashi-kun, I can’t believe you did all that and didn’t break a sweat.” Mina’s eyes soon found Hikari’s and she gasped, her eyes filling with tears.

“Hi-Hikari-san!” she stuttered. Hana-chan peered from behind her. A grin grew widely on her face.

“Hikari-chan!” she shouted, running towards her. Mina was close behind and the two embraced Hikari. “We missed you so much!”

A sudden weight was thrown onto Hikari’s back.

“Hiri-chan!”

“Honey-senpai, Hana-chan, Mina-chan” Hikari said, hugging them all in return.

Mina was the first to pull back. “We’ve been so worried,” she said, “Are you alright?”

“I’m much better now, thank you.” Hikari’s glance shifted between Mori and Mina for a moment, a sly smile creeping in the corners of her mouth. “Since when do you call Mori-senpai by his first name?”

Mina’s face turned bright red as she began to look at the floor. “W-well…y-you see…” Mori placed a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

“We’ll explain later,” he replied in his monotone voice, “But there’s more trouble in another terminal.”

“Another terminal?” Hikari repeated “What does that have to do with us?”

“Well,” Haruhi began, “When we got here…Hikaru ran ahead of us. None of saw where he went.” Hikari felt her heart freeze at hearing Hikaru’s name. She was surprised to hear he came to help. Her nerves began to buzz. She wasn’t sure if she was ready to face him.

Haruhi placed a warm hand on Hikari’s shoulder. “The minute we got here, he ran to find you. He’s probably stuck at another terminal thinking you were there.” She faced the rest of the club. “I also heard someone say there were teenagers causing trouble in Terminal C. Sounds exactly like them, right?”

Hikaru’s heart pumped energy through her body. She spun on her heels and took a step. “I’m going to help them.”

Haruhi grabbed her wrist. “You can’t. You might get caught again.”

“Then follow me and watch my back.” She looked back at everyone. “Please.” Haruhi peeked over her shoulder to catch Tamaki’s stare.

“We’re here for you, Hikari,” he said.

Hikari bowed to them in thanks, and led them towards Terminal C. It was a distance to run, but the thought of seeing Hikaru was enough to keep Hikari running. Everyone else began to fall behind except for Mori-senpai and Honey, who were right behind her. Once she saw the Terminal C sign, she heard a girl shout.

 _I know that voice anywhere._ As Hikari got closer, she saw a Niwazaki guard holding Yumi hostage.

“Let go of me you psychodic freak!” she shouted while kicking for her life.

Hikari noticed more of them behind her and turned to her instructors. “I can’t take them on alone. But I can get past them.”

“We’re here with you one-hundred percent, Hiri-chan!” Honey replied giving her a victory sign.

Hikari gathered her strength and charged at Yumi’s guard. Honey swung from guard to guard, taking them out as he hopped on their shoulders. Mori stayed close to her as she knocked Yumi’s guard to the ground. He swept in and picked the guy up. Honey had started a pile of knocked-out guards and threw the man on it.

Hikari gripped onto Yumi’s shoulder. “Are you okay?”

Yumi’s eyes and lips expressed pure joy as her arms pulled Hikari into a tight embrace. “You’re alive!” she screamed, “I was terrified that I’d lost you.”

“I’m better than ever now,” Hikari answer, Yumi’s grip being a little too tight. She tapped her friend’s arm and welcomed the air back into her lungs. “But there’s something I’ve gotta do.” She removed Yumi’s hand and quickly dodged through more Niwazaki guards.

It didn’t take her long to find the guards fighting the twins. For the first time in a while, Hikari forgot who was who and stood where. Doubt and fear crawled up her stomach into her chest. _What should I do?_

Her arms pressed against her lucky charm. Her worry slowly dwindled away as she remembered her method to tell the twins apart. She a twin’s glance on the left and looked in his eyes. They looked like they wanted to protect someone very precious…more than one if possible.

A sudden memory flashed in Hikari’s mind, and she headed towards him, pushing the guard out of the way. “It’s odd seeing you fight…Kaoru.”

Kaoru hugged her in thanks and turned her towards Hikaru. “I can’t fight them off,” he said in one breath. Hikari nodded.

Before she moved, she watched Hikaru fighting the guards off. _More than one…and what for…me?_ Her eyes lowered onto the floor. She heard Kaoru and Yumi encouraging her to go, but her heart shuddered with fear, silencing them and the rest of the club from her ears.

 _What if he doesn’t want to see me? What if that rescue thing was a dream? What if everything after that stupid fight was just an illusion?_ She clutched onto her jacket, her breathing shortening with every breath.

 _It doesn’t matter._ A slow, shaky breath trailed to her lungs, eyes rising onto the fight. She walked towards one of the guards standing between her and Hikaru. _I’ve gotta save Hikaru…because even if everything was a dream…_ She bent down and swept her leg under him, allowing him to fall to the side. As he fell, another ran towards her. With her elbow, she jabbed him in the stomach, then smacked him in the nose with the back of her fist, causing him to fall.

 _They showed me my true feeling about him, and I’ve learned that you can’t fight against what you feel no matter how hard you try._ Hikari felt her heart bang against her chest as she saw Hikaru standing before her.

This was real. He was really there, looking at her with his golden-hazel eyes. She stared back, feeling her throat getting tighter. The emotions began to build in her throat and she tried to swallow it down, playing with the sleeve of her jacket to try and distract herself. But it didn’t work. She was too overwhelmed to even look into his eyes, so instead she looked away, taking off his jacket and presenting it to him.

“I don’t know how it got to me,” Hikari began, “but I’m guessing you want it back.” She took another deep breath. “I’m sorry about what happened at school a few weeks ago in the library. I shouldn’t have jumped to conclusions like that. I guess I’m an insecure girl waiting for everything to crumble at any moment. And the thought of losing you…well…it made me mad. So I got angry at you and then this happened.” Hikari felt her voice changing as the tears began to gather in her eyes. _Don’t cry. Do this right_. Her arms lowered the jacket as she brought it towards her chest.

“I know you’re probably still mad, but I want to say-” Suddenly, Hikaru’s arms wrapped around her tightly, her head resting against his chest, hearing his heart beating at a fast rhythm.

“You shouldn’t apologize,” he said quietly, “I shouldn’t have doubted you. If I hadn’t acted so irrationally, you wouldn’t be in this mess.” Hikari’s emotions swelled like a volcano ready to burst. “These past few weeks were hell without you, especially since I realized something.” He pulled Hikari away, cupped her face, and smiled.

“I love you Hikari.” He brought his head down and placed his lips onto hers. His tongue explored the familiar space in her mouth, making her skin crawl with delight, like her first kiss with him and always after that. She respond so passionately she felt herself running out of breath. However she refused to pull her lips away until her her lungs began to cry for oxygen.

Hikaru placed his forehead onto hers and rubbed her arms. “I understand if you don’t feel the same way, but know that I won’t lose you again.”

“You won’t,” she assured, looking into his eyes, “Also…I love you too.”

Hikaru was going to kiss her again when the sound of clapping interrupted the moment. Hikari saw Satoshi smacking his hands together, his nose swollen and bruised from her impact. However, there was a chilling smile on his face. Hikari shivered in Hikaru’s arms at the sight of him, but her uneasiness burned it away when he spoke.

“What a pretty picture. The happy couple together again. You know, I think there’s a tear in my eye.” Satoshi wiped his eyes and shrugged. “Oh wait, that wasn’t for you, that was for my injured nose!” His voice filled with rage when he finished his last sentence.

Hikari didn’t move. She smiled instead. “You were in my way.”

“So I was, but now I’m here to collect you. We’ve got a plane to catch.” He extended his hand. “Let’s go.”

“I told you before, I’m not going,” Hikari said calmly.

Hikaru gently pulled her behind him. “She’s not going anywhere.” he stated.

Satoshi released a chilling laugh. “Hikaru-san, how do you know that the girl you’re protecting isn’t a fraud?”

“Sorry, you can’t play the same trick on me twice.”

“Really?” Satoshi looked in one direction and everyone’s eyes followed. Standing not far from them was a girl with long brown hair and brown eyes, wearing an over-sized jacket. She looked over at Hikaru with tears streaming down her face. Hikari felt her blood boil. Her grip on Hikaru’s jacket tightened.

“Hikari?” Hikaru whispered.

The Hikari standing afar nodded and smiled. “I’m here, Hikaru,” she said in Hikari’s voice, “Satoshi’s trying to trick you again with that person you’re protecting.” She pointed towards the Hikari behind him. “It’s his sister! Give her back.”

Hikari shook her head and put on his jacket. She turned around to her fellow host club and ladies. Then, she stepped in front of Hikaru. “I’m not going to put you through this again. If you decide that I’m a fraud, then that’s your decision and I’ll respect it. But…I hope you pick me.” She looked at him and smiled. “I said that I love you and I do, and I don’t want you to feel tricked again.”

Hikari faced her counter-part and took a deep breath. She walked a good pace and stopped once she reached a decent distance. Her arms folded across her chest and she tried to calm down her anger.

“Suzuki Kamiko, right?” Hikari asked.

The Hikari imposture mimicked her position and asked, “Suzuki Kamiko, right?”

“What makes you say that I’m the imposture and not you?” she asked. The Hikari double repeated the question, thinning Hikari’s patients.

 _Hmmm_ , Hikari thought, _We’re not going to get anywhere like this_. _What makes her tick?_ A memory rolled into her mind. When Kamiko and she first met, the girl threatened to win Hikaru’s favor.

“What do you love best about Hikaru?” she asked.

The Hikari impersonator blushed and brought her hands to her cheeks. “Well, he’s all bad-boy like, and he always wants to protect Kaoru-kun, which makes it hard for anyone to reach his heart. And his body is so slender and strong. And he’s such a good kisser, and…” Hikari nodded and listened, trying her best not to laugh. Kamiko had fallen out of character. Deep down, she hoped that Hikaru could see that.

“Okay, what about you?” she asked once she finished, “What do you love about Hikaru-kun?”

Hikari blinked for a second and brought a finger to her chin. “Well, Hikaru is very aggressive, always saying that he’s going to sneak into my bed. He loves to freak me out and likes to tease me even when I’m trying to do my job as a host. A perk, I guess, and loving his devilish charm.” Hikari looked on over at Hikaru, who appeared more annoyed than loved. The rest of the club snickered and repeated a few of her comments.

“But,” she continued, looking straight at Kamiko “The one thing I love most about Hikaru is that he’s always there for me, even when I try to be strong on my own. Sure it gets really annoying sometimes, but in the end, I’m always happy he’s there.”

Kamiko smiled. “I love that too.”

“Then why didn’t you add that to your long list?” Hikari asked.

Kamiko shrugged her shoulders. “I didn’t want to get that personal in public. It’s like in school: I don’t want to people to know that we’re dating.”

“Hitachiin Hikaru,” Satoshi said, catching everyone’s attention, “You’ve gotta decide which girl stays and which one leaves because we’ve got a plane to catch.”

Hikaru looked over at Hikari, then Kamiko. He nodded towards her. “When you joined the club, what convinced us that you could be a good host?”

“Well,” Kamiko said, “It was the fact that I’m a great actress. Like my father before me, I can pull off acting like a guy whenever I want to.”

Hikaru looked over and gave her a crooked, sly smile. “Good answer,” he said, “but not the right one.” Kamiko’s jaw fell open as Hikaru turned to Hikari. “What’s the right answer?” Hikari had to think back to those first days at the club. She talked about breaking the dishes Mori-senpai was carrying, then switching clothes with Haruhi and performed like a gentleman in front of each host. Hikari was going to continue, but paused.

“Well?” Hikaru asked. Hikari swallowed hard and placed her hand inside her jacket, pulling out her lucky charm. Once Hikaru saw the rose, his eyes grew wide.

Hikari hid her smile and faced the club, allowing Haruhi to see her candy wrap message as she untied her ribbon. She placed the items back in the inside pocket and gathered her hair into a pony-tail. Her lips curled into a smile as she tied the ribbon around her hair, eyes closed and mind focused.

 _Lets do this, Hiroki_.

Hikari opened her eyes and faced Kamiko, a hand in her pocket and a polite smile on her face.

“ _I see her standing there. The wind blowing through her silk black hair. A soft texture against my skin. Her eyes shine brighter than the sun, blinding me from her beauty. Her lips...rouge color. I come close to her, our breaths mingling together. As I leaned in for that kiss,-_ ” She stopped and looked around her. Hikaru was leaning in and placed his sly smile on his face.

“So you’ve had your first kiss?” He asked. Hikari had to contain her laughter, knowing that he was reciting the memory. She took her hair down.

“That’s personal information,” she replied, her smile escaping her, “Then I turned to Kyouya and said that I’d be the Lyrical host and he said, ‘Welcome to the Host Club…Hiroki.’ And then I’ve been there ever since.” Hikari turned her head and saw the club stare in amazement.

“I can’t believe you remembered all that?” Honey said.

Hikari placed her hand over her heart. “I could never forget that day. That was when things began to change for the better.”

“You even remembered Hikaru asking about your first kiss,” Haruhi mentioned.

Hikari blushed a little. “I didn’t forget that either.”

Suddenly from behind arms wrapped around her. The smell of fresh rose and spices filled her nose.

“And you’re my little toy.” Hikari’s face grew redder and she stared down at the floor. “You like it when I sneak into your bed? Then I’ll have to do it more often.”

Hikari let out a laugh. “Forget it! I’m locking everything before letting you try anything!”

Hikaru turned Hikari around and made a tsking sound. “You just said that the thing you love most about me was always being there.”

“I wanted to be honest so I wouldn’t have to put you through the same situation that broke us apart.”

Hikaru chuckled and pressed his forehead against hers. “I knew it was you when you beat down that guard.”

Hikaru rolled her eyes. “Really?”

“Well, the rose also helped,” he admitted, “And your honest answer.”

“You chose wrong Hikaru-san,” Satoshi interrupted, holding Kamiko by the waist, “Looks like I always get what I want.”

“Hikaru!” Kamiko screamed, “Help me.”

“No way,” Hikaru chuckled. He released Hikari and walked towards Satoshi, clenching his fist tightly together. Without hesitation, he pulled his fist back and launched it at Satoshi, hitting him right on the nose. Satoshi shouted in pain and hit the floor, Kamiko bent over and lifted him up.

“Satoshi-nii-san,” she cried in her normal voice, “Hang in there.”

Hikaru stretched his arms in the air and walked back to the club. “Now we can leave.” He grabbed Hikari’s hand, who winced a little. “What’s wrong?” He looked at her bandaged hand. “WHAT THE HELL HAPPENED TO YOU!?”

Hikari laughed and placed her arm around his waist. “I’ll explain everything once we’re in the car. For now, I’m going to enjoy this moment.”

Hikari’s heart pounded with glee with every step she made towards the exit. The moment she stepped outside and saw Natasha, she dropped Hikaru’s hand and sprinted towards her.

Natasha’s face was completely surprised when Hikari jumped into her arms and held on tightly around her neck.“I thought I’d lost you,” she said in sobs.

Hikari shook her head. “Thanks to everyone, I got out safe and sound.”

Hikari heard a cough and she let Natasha go. Kyouya was looking forward, revealing nothing of the sort that he was glad.

Hikari couldn’t help but smile and stood next to him. “I’m sorry for all’ve the problems I’ve cuase. What’s my price for the damage?”

Kyouya extended a hand and placed it on Hikari’s head. He ruffled her hair a bit. “How about not causing something like this again?”

Hikari shrugged. “I’ll do my best, but I can’t make any promises.”

“MY DAUGHTER!” Tamaki shouted, holding Hikari close again, “This Christmas, we’ll celebrate the returning and reuniting of our family!”

“Yay!” Hana shouted, “Another party!”

As the host gathered together to discus the celebration, Natasha tapped on Kyouya’s shoulder. “What’s going to happen to the Niwazaki’s and the Suzuki twins?”

“I’m not sure,” he answered. His cell phone rang and he answered. After a few “yes’s” and “thank you’s”, Kyouya hung up.

“The Suzuki’s were taken away,” he began, “and the Niwazaki’s boarded the plane.” Natasha smiled.

“So they’re gone for good?”

“We can only hope,” he replied.

“Come on, my children,” Tamaki announced, “To the car!”

“You glad you stayed?” Haruhi asked as Hikari entered the limo.

“You bet.” Haruhi climbed in next to her and slammed the door shut.

While leaning on Hikaru and hearing the ideas for yet another party, Hikari grabbed her necklace and closed her eyes:

_Mom. Dad. Everything worked out. I can’t believe it. Everything that a person could want, I have now. I found a family, I can write; it won’t be long until I achieve my dream._

****

{The Host Club is Now Open}

“Here are the Valentines Day stories you ladies ordered,” Hiroki announced, passing out sheets of paper to the girls at his table. They all grabbed one and squealed with delight.

“Oh Hiroki-kun,” one of them said, “It’s so good to have these stories back, and you as well.”

“Yes,” said another, “Has everything settled at home?”

Hiroki smiled and nodded. “Things couldn’t be better.” The girls sighed.

Hiroki offered to get them some special Valentines day treats and excused himself to the back room. When he returned into the main room, he noticed Haruhi staring at Tamaki.

“Are you alright?” he asked.

Haruhi jumped a little and sighed. “I dunno. Maybe I am a little jealous about Senpai’s guests.”

“Why don’t you tell him that?”

“I’d never hear the end of it,” Haruhi answered, “And that seems worse now than ever.” Hiroki nodded. Tamaki wouldn’t let it go.

One of the guests raised her hand at Tamaki’s table. “Tamaki-sama! Is there anyone special to you? And please don’t lie. We’re your loyal guests, after all.”

Tamaki laughed. “Well, princess, there is someone close to my heart.” The girl blushed. “She’s strong-minded and determined to do anything she sets her mind on. She’s at this school to fulfill a dream and I admire her passion.”

“Did you tell her you love her?”

“Yes I did,” Tamaki answered, “but she hasn’t given me an answer.”

The girl gasped. “Then you should leave her and find another love.”

Tamaki shook his head. “I can’t do that.”

“Why not?”

Tamaki looked over at Haruhi and gave a smile. “Because I love her, and I won’t leave her until she tells me to.”

Hiroki saw color rush into Haruhi's cheeks and patted his shoulder.

“I think now there’s something _you’ve_ gotta do,” he whispered.

{The Club is Now Closed}

Hikari closed the back door and sighed.

“Long day?” Kaoru asked.

“Yeah, but it was fun. With Valentines day’s coming up and the increase in guests, we’ve been busier than ever.”

“We’ve got to please the girls as best as we can,” Kyouya added, “Valentines day is the time when girls love to pass out chocolates to the boys of their choosing.”

“That won’t be hard for us!” Hikari turned and saw Hana-chan and Mina exiting the kitchen.

“Thanks for baking all those treats,” Kyouya said.

Mina smiled. “You’re welcome.”

Mori-senpai walked towards her and lifted her face. He rubbed of some flour that stuck to her cheek and smiled. “Don’t work yourself too hard.” Mina’s face changed colors from pale to as red as Hikari’s ribbon.

“Hana-chan!” Honey cried, “With all this practice, are you gonna make me Valentines day chocolates?”

“Of course!” Hana replied, “But only if we can eat them together!”

“Now that’s a better idea,” Yumi said aloud, “Sharing chocolates rather than having one person eat them all.” She glanced over at Kaoru, giving him a wink.

Karol scooped her up and gave her a twirl. He then lowered her to the ground, keeping her face close to his. “Well lucky for you, you’ve got a man to give _and_ share chocolates with.” She blushed a little and nodded. Hikari couldn’t help but laugh.

“What’s so funny?” Hikari stopped laughing and saw Hikaru standing beside her, his hands in his pockets.

“Nothing,” she answered, “Just how funny Yumi looks, that’s all.”

Hikaru chuckled and began to walk around her. “What did you have planned for Valentines day?”

“Make chocolates, of course!” Natasha opened the kitchen door wide and placed the doorstopper down. “She and I are joining forces to make some to give out.”

“They better be good,” Kyouya demanded.

Natasha’s jaw fell open. “You’re so picky, Kyouya. If you keep that up, then you’re not gonna get any special chocolates from me.” Kyouya placed an evil grin on his face and pulled out his phone. After a while of hearing him pressing buttons, Natasha’s phone rang. She pressed a few buttons and looked at it. Her cheeks suddenly flared up.

“KYOUYA! YOU DIRTY, PERVERTED, DISGUSTING…” Natasha continued with the list when Haruhi finally came out of the back room. She had a determined look on her face and approached Tamaki.

“Senpai,” she said, “Can I talk to you?” Tamaki nodded and the two went into the back room.

“What could that be about?” Hikari asked aloud.

“Maybe Haruhi’s gonna finally admit her love for Tono,” Hikaru commented.

“And then maybe something dirty will happen between mommy and daddy,” Kaoru added. The twins looked at each other and grinned evilly, lacing their hands together. Yumi and Hikari grabbed their twin and pulled them away form the door.

“You give them privacy,” Yumi shouted.

“Yeah, no snooping into other people’s businesses,” Hikari seconded. However, they couldn’t stand in silence for long. With curiosity taking hold, everyone rushed to the door and peeked through. They all saw Haruhi and Tamaki facing one another and Haruhi looking right at him.

“After everything that had happened these past two years,” she began, “I’ve decided that it’s okay to not study all the time and to have fun once in a while. And sometimes, in the process, something you never expected happened.” She smiled. “I love you, Senpai.” Tamaki stepped back and blushed as red as Mina. Haruhi took her eyes away and continued, “I didn’t want to get distracted from my dream, but you’ve been such a big help that you’re now a part of it.”

Tamaki smiled and lifted her face. “I won’t ever leave you because I love you too.” And with that, he lowered his head and kissed her. Hikari’s heart banged so loudly that she thought it would fly out of her mouth. Suddenly, someone grabbed her and pulled her away from the scene.

“HIKARU! That was Haruhi’s first kiss!”

“Actually second,” Hikaru corrected.

“Not with the man she loves,” Hikari replied.

Hikaru leaned Hikari on a wall and looked into her eyes. She was about to speak, but the look he gave her was the one that always silenced her. The gold swirled, hypnotizing her. Not long after, he cupped her cheek and placed his lips onto hers. She felt her mind fog up with pink clouds, feeling a little high from the passion that he was passing on through her. This kiss was deeper than before, their mouths moving in unison. He moved his free arm to grip around her waist, which tightened as his hand on her cheek moved through her silky brown hair. Out of impulse, her arms went around his back pulling him closer to her.

… _what’s happening?_ She thought, _This seems familiar…_

Hikaru removed his lips, stroking her cheek with the back of his fingers. They were both panting from the exhaustion of the kiss. He placed his forehead onto hers looking into her brown eyes.

“Don’t freak out,” he whispered, “but we’re being watched.” Hikari blushed and looked behind him. Many pairs of eyes watched behind the columns placed throughout the room.

“Aw, come on!” Hikari screamed.

“If you’re going to make out, do it elsewhere,” Kyouya suggested.

“HIKARU!” Tamaki shouted, “I WON’T ALLOW YOU TO TAKE MY DAUGHTER UNTIL YOU FIGHT ME!”

“Now hold on, Tamaki-kun,” Natasha said, placing a hand on his shoulder, “Who’s her real guardian here?”

“But Natasha-san,” Tamaki said, pouting.

“No buts. I’m Hikari’s guardian.” She gave Hikaru a thumbs-up. “And I approve.”

“I’m not a child, you know,” Hikari said, but no one except Haruhi paid attention.

She nodded at the club. “I know, but like you, this is why I stayed.”

Hikari stretched her arms in the air and placed it around Haruhi. “I agree. I wouldn’t give this up for the world!”

****

Hikari was at her desk, writing away in her new story journal. Her mind was so focused on the scene, she hadn’t realized someone was calling her name.

“Hikari!” Natasha called, “Bedtime. Lights out!”

“Alright.” Hikari shouted half-heartedly. She rose up from her desk and turned off the main lights, leaving the desk lamp on. With her book still open, she continued writing until she heard the sound of her window opening and closing as quietly as it could.

“You know you’re only allowed to sneak in on weekends, right Hikaru?” Hikari asked, not lifting her stare from her book. “Natasha’s gonna kill you if she finds you.”

“She won’t find out unless you lower your voice.” His arm slid around her neck followed by a warm kiss. “Besides, aren’t you writing past your bedtime again?”

Hikari blushed and threw herself onto her work. She never shared her first draft with anyone.

Hikaru reached for her journal. “Are you writing something dirty?”

“No,” Hikari answered a little too loudly. She paused to hear if Natasha heard, but after a minute, she whispered, “just fantasy stuff. That’s all.” Hikaru’s eyes remained on the paper.

“Can I read it?” Hikari opened her mouth to say no, but paused.

“Let me finish and edit it first. Then you can be the first to read it.”

Hikaru chuckled. “Deal.”

Hikari sighed and began to write.

_And so she crawled into bed, feeling nothing but grateful that she had such caring friends, such a happy family, and a lover that she didn’t think she’d have. So many things happened in one year that it seemed like a life time ago she was unhappy. As she reached over to for the candle out, she heard the wind call her name, giving her the security she’d always wanted. And with that, she blew it out and fell asleep under the moonlight._

 


End file.
